Craig Overton isn’t messing around, folks. The Somerset all-rounder just snagged the men’s player of the year award at the Professional Cricketers’ Association awards, and he made his intentions crystal clear: he wants to make England selectors’ jobs “as hard as possible.” Talk about a statement!
Numbers That Scream for Attention
You want to know why he won that award? Because his season with Somerset was absolutely unreal. His county finished second in the County Championship, and Overton was a massive reason why. The dude took a staggering 53 wickets, which was the third best in Division One, with an average of 19.18. Let that sink in! And he wasn’t just a bowler; he crushed it with the bat too, scoring 734 runs, including three centuries. Three hundreds! That’s an all-around performance that should be impossible to ignore.
The England Snub and What He’s Chasing
Here’s the kicker: despite all this incredible form, Overton, who’s 32, hasn’t played for England since 2022. He’s got 15 caps total, split between eight Test matches and seven one-day internationals, but it’s been four years since he wore the national colors. He’s been sidelined, even with all the chatter about who’s going to fill that pace bowling all-rounder gap left by Ben Stokes’ retirement. The man knows it, saying, “If I’m good enough they’ll pick me and at the minute they’re not quite doing that and that’s their prerogative and they see their side going in a different way, which is fine.” But he’s not backing down.
Overton told BBC Test Match Special podcast that he’s “always thinking about it” when it comes to playing for his country. “Any kid’s dream is to play for England and I’m no exception,” he added. He’s had a taste of it, he enjoyed it, and it was a challenge. And while he hasn’t had any contact about a return, his message is simple: “For me it’s just putting in performances and making their decisions as hard as possible.” He wants back in, but he’s focusing on what he can control, putting in the work for his county.
So, what’s next? Overton keeps doing what he’s doing for Somerset. He’s putting up these monster stats, and if the call-up comes, it comes. England’s selectors have a player who just delivered an incredible season, is hungry, and is making it impossible to overlook him. This story is far from over.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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