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Shocked Bancroft handed Aust T20 call-up

West Australian opener Cameron Bancroft will replace Matthew Wade for the third and final T20 against India at the SCG.

West Australia opener Cameron Bancroft
WA's Cameron Bancroft (pic) will replace Matthew Wade for the third and final T20 against India. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Opener Cameron Bancroft will be out to prove he's far from a one-trick pony when he makes his international debut for Australia in Sunday's third and final Twenty20 against India at the SCG.

Bancroft has mostly been pigeon-holed as a long-form star of the game, and he would have almost certainly made his Test debut by now had last year's tour of Bangladesh not been cancelled.

The 23-year-old was left devastated when his Test dream was put on hold, and a mini-form slump followed.

But a finger injury to wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman opened up a whole new world for Bancroft.

Before this summer, Bancroft hadn't been able to break through for a single BBL game.

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But with Whiteman out injured for this summer's edition, Bancroft was handed the wicketkeeping duties for the whole tournament.

Bancroft responded with aplomb, averaging 34.25 with the bat across nine outings, as well as performing solidly behind the stumps.

And his progress didn't go unnoticed, with the right-hander parachuted into Australia's T20 squad as a wicketkeeper to replace Matthew Wade, who will fly to New Zealand on Saturday to prepare for the ODI series there.

Bancroft wants to make the most of his chance in the Australian set-up - even though the circumstances are a tad unusual.

"I probably always thought that if there was an opportunity for me to play for Australia, it would have been in the long form of cricket, certainly not in T20 cricket," Bancroft said on Friday.

"The last couple of years has been a bit frustrating for me, certainly from a T20 point of view - just sitting and watching the guys do well and win some championships.

"To be a part of that this year and get a taste of it - it's something I want to do a lot more of.

"I want to be able to play all forms of the game. I'm certainly not happy shortcutting myself to play one form of cricket."

Bancroft was a wicketkeeper during most of his junior days, and says it's a skill-set that comes naturally to him.

But his No.1 priority is to make a name for himself as a batsman - in all forms of the game.


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