BOUNDARY blitzer Ross Whiteley has been backed for another shot an international cricket after his explosive batting lit up the Rapids Natwest T20Blast campaign.
Assistant coach Matt Mason urged the left-hander to push for England honours after his six smashing run of form in the competition.
The 28-year-old became the first Englishman and only the fifth player in first team cricket worldwide to hit six sixes in an over in the defeat to Yorkshire Vikings.
He followed it up with another five boundary clearing shots in the win over Notts Outlaws at Trent Bridge.
Whiteley was selected for the England Performance Squad in 2015-2016 and the England Lions T20 and 50 over series against Pakistan A in the UAE after his destructive form in white ball cricket for the Rapids the previous summer.
The former Derbyshire player, the joint highest NatWest T20 Blast six hitter in 2015 with 29 alongside Chris Gayle, hit a 30 ball half century in the second ODI but otherwise struggled to reproduce the form that had destroyed some attacks at county level.
Mason feels the best is still to come from Whiteley and said there was no reason why England selectors wouldn’t be knocking on his door if he keeps performing
“Anything is possible when Ross goes out to bat. We can chase any total, we never feel out of a game. I’m not surprised to see him in that all-time list for the T20.”
“This format really suits him because I doubt there is a cleaner hitter of the cricket ball.
“Ross keeps providing us with that entertainment, those big sixes, those big boundaries. He is very strong and is also a very good fielder so this format really suits him.
As well as pulling on the Three Lions shirt, Mason also wouldn’t be surprised if T20 franchises around the world were attracted by Whiteley’s hitting power.
“It wouldn’t surprise me. To do that, you have to head-line our competition, you need to get your name up in lights and to do that you need to show your destructive power.
“With some really terrific knocks in this competition and fielding the way he can, then there is no reason why he couldn’t be picked up by someone in any of those competitions around the world.”