With Jack Edwards having left the A squad in India to make his ODI debut in South Africa and Aaron Hardie, another seam-bowling allrounder, set to miss the upcoming three-match one-day series against India A due to a minor injury, Scott looms as a key figure for the Australians during the white-ball leg of the tour in Puducherry as well.
Having already had a little taste of international cricket, Scott has ambitions of establishing himself as a point-of-difference allrounder at the top level.
“Playing for Australia was a dream come true,” Scott told Cricinfo at a hotel in Puducherry before the start of the red-ball series last month. “Not just for me personally, but also for my family. I got the cap from Kezza [Alex Carey] who is also an SA (South Australia) lad and to be able to represent your country is a pretty special feeling. I’ve had a taste of international cricket and that’s where I want to be playing [more].”
With Australia facing a packed schedule in this World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, their senior bowlers and allrounders are being managed carefully, which could potentially open up more opportunities for emerging players such as Scott. Having put in impressive performances in the Sheffield Shield and more recently for Australia A in Puducherry, Scott has an eye on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India next year as well.
“You can only enhance your chances by doing well,” Scott said. “You’ve just got to keep stacking performances on the board and hopefully get those opportunities [like BGT]. If not, it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. And if you’re scoring runs and taking wickets, then that’s all you can control.
“Yes, Australia has a really busy schedule over the next little bit. So, naturally, there probably will be some opportunities, but you’ve just got to keep staying grounded and focusing on each game at a time, each ball at a time.”
Scott now seems to have a reference point for what to do in these conditions. “The conditions in Australia obviously have a bit more pace and bounce whereas here [in India] it’s about how you manipulate and play spin,” Scott said. “It’s about being continually exposed to quality A team opposition in these conditions. Some wickets can slide on as well, which was the case in Kanpur.
“For me, one-day cricket is all about assessing risk and where you can play your percentages to the best of your ability, especially as a middle-order player when there’s only four fielders outside the circle. It’s about how you can explore options to make the most of that one less fielder. Jack has played a lot of cricket for NSW and Sydney Sixers and I feel we’ve got similar sort of games and it’s fun batting with him.”
“Hopefully we’re not in those positions too many times (laughs). But, I think it’s all about trying to show some fight and sometimes the best way to counteract that sort of thing is to throw a few punches back,” Scott said. “But in saying that, for me personally, I feel like I’m playing my best cricket when I’m looking to score and be aggressive and have an impact on the game.”
Scott’s BBL exploits caught the attention of Gloucestershire who signed him for the Vitality Blast in England earlier this year. Scott was expensive with the ball and wasn’t at his best with the bat either in the competition, but he embraced the pressure of being an overseas pro.
“I really enjoyed my time with Gloucester and enjoyed living in Bristol, where they are based,” Scott recalled. “The cricket was certainly different to probably back home and it was a really good learning opportunity for me.”
Scott prioritises game awareness and mental strength to cope with pressure and has had a chance to chat about it with his idol Shane Watson, who has written a book on how to harness mental strength. When he was growing up, Scott used to impersonate Watson’s shots while playing backyard cricket with his brother.
“Shane Watson was definitely my hero growing up,” Scott said. “I read his book as well and [mental strength] is really important in cricket. Sometimes it can be neglected, but it was good to chat to him about the mental side of the game. So, it’s something I have definitely taken forward in my game.”
“It would be pretty cool to rub shoulders with Ben Stokes and learn as much as I can from him,” Scott said. “Cam Green is a quality player and only gets better. So, trying to pick up little attributes from all those types of players and watching footage is something I can keep developing my game with.”
Scott is strong at pumping the ball down the ground and over the leg side, but doesn’t want to sit still with his skills. He is looking to add an extra yard of pace to his bowling and also access other areas with the bat, including behind the wicket.
“I think there’s always continual development to be done,” Scott said. “Batting-wise, [it’s about] how you can access different areas of the ground, especially in T20 cricket and one-day cricket. Bowling-wise also I’m exploring opportunities to keep getting better – getting a little bit quicker, keep getting stronger and adding different variations.
“You look at guys like Nathan Ellis, who’s an absolute genius with the ball. He’s made a great career out of having so many different skills. So he’s someone I definitely look [up] to, hoping to bring some of those skills into my game.”
“I mean, I’d love to be able to captain the Strikers one day,” Scott said. “I feel, tactically, I’m blessed at reading the game well and reading people well. I’m not the loudest person in the room and tend to be quite calm under pressure. But in saying that, everyone can employ leadership qualities when they’re playing cricket.
“At the moment, we’ve got Matt Short, who’s arguably the best player in the competition and has been for the last few years. So, I’m just happy playing my part. I’m part of their leadership group, which I feel as though I can contribute to. And as long as I’m putting some good performances on the board and helping the Strikers, hopefully, win more games of cricket, then that’s all that really matters now.”
Before Ryan Harris took charge as South Australia coach, ahead of the 2024-25, Scott had only played sporadically for his state, but under Harris, he has evolved into a genuine match-winner.
“I feel as though when Rhino came in [at SA], he was able to provide a little bit more balance for myself as a cricketer, knowing that I’m… not competing for my spot every time I go out to bat or go out to bowl,” Scott said. “That calming nature that he instilled in my ability to get a continual flow of games probably helped settle the nerves and be at peace with the fact that I can just go out and play cricket.”
Scott is now playing cricket around the world and has another opportunity to pique the interest of the Australian selectors – and potentially IPL scouts – when he faces some IPL stars in the white-ball series against India A.
Deivarayan Muthu is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo