‘Just want to put my best foot forward for Surrey’ – Sean Abbott keen on catching selectors’ eyes ahead of Ashes 2023

Surrey paceman, Sean Abbott, expressed that he is keen on putting his best foot forward for the county side to make a place in Australia's Test squad ahead of the Ashes 2023. The county club signed the Aussie pacer for the County Championship and the Vitality T20 Blast this summer, until the end of July. 

The club has kickstarted their title defence against Lancashire on Thursday, April 6, at Old Trafford in Manchester. However, Abbott will get his first chance to play in front of the home crowd against Hampshire on April 13, at the Kennington Oval, in London. 

In an interview, the 31-year-old revealed that he will take this as an opportunity to impress the Australian selectors for the eagerly-anticipated Ashes which will be played in mid-June. The New South Wales-born expressed that he would like to focus on Test cricket but also added that he had ‘no expectations’. 

“My goal and aspiration is to play Test cricket. I feel like I’ve been bowling pretty well. We’ve got such a strong team I certainly have no expectations but I know I’m there or thereabouts in terms of one or two injuries,” Abbott was quoted as saying by inews.co.uk.

“If I play well for Surrey then potentially, they may see my skillset as an asset for this series. But certainly, I don’t want that to be my focus otherwise I’ll get sucked into that and distracted. So, I just want to put my best foot forward for Surrey and whatever comes, comes," he added.

Sean Abbott gearing up for a second stint with Surrey County

The Aussie pacer lasted just one match in 2021, after suffering a hamstring injury and is now set to don the outfit for the second time in the ongoing season. Abbott joins the squad as a cover for Jamie Overton, who got confined to the sidelines with a stress fracture in his lower back. The 31-year-old will form a vital part of the bowling battery and will be vying for an impressive season for the club, keeping in mind the Ashes around the corner.