Phil Hughes needs time in the middle leading into the Ashes after a dismal Champions Trophy campaign.
The struggling batsman made two ducks and a total of 57 runs from his five one-day innings in the UK, getting himself into a nasty mess during all three of his dismissals at the ICC tournament.
It’s hardly a comforting preparation for a player carrying some serious Ashes baggage and who will have England’s skilful swing bowler Jimmy Anderson zeroing in on his outside edge.
The left-hander averages just 17 in nine innings against England, with a highest score of 36.
Hughes, along with fellow Ashes squad member Matthew Wade joined up with Australia A on Tuesday for the final match of their tour against Gloucestershire in Bristol starting on Friday.
Surprisingly, another of Australia’s battling top order options, Shane Watson, stayed in London to continue training.
The Ashes touring party will officially come together on Monday in Taunton, with tour matches against Somerset and Worcestershire before the first Test on July 10 at Trent Bridge.
Hughes, 24, admits he’s still a few years away from fully maturing as a batsman after an inconsistent start to his international career.
Hughes’ record shows he needs rhythm at the crease to avoid things collapsing in his mind and has three tour matches to get that right.
“Preparation is the key – spending as much time in the middle as possible and get runs. That’s really what counts in these practice games,” said Hughes.
“The older you get the better you are I think. You speak to players in the past and they sometimes say you mature about 28, 29 years of age.
“I suppose one thing for me is I’ve still got age on my side.
“I’ve been very lucky to be around the international scene for four years and I feel like I’m in a much better space than I was four years ago.
“I feel like my game has come along and also mentally come along.”
Hughes found out in 2009 when he tweeted his dropping from the team mid-series that the hype around the Ashes can become overwhelming.
He was given a sobering reminder of the fish-bowl levels of scrutiny in Birmingham two weekends ago when he went out drinking with David Warner and other teammates at The Walkabout.
Hughes said he was accountable for his actions and pledged the team were getting through the crisis together.
“I put my hand up and say it wasn’t the right thing to do after a loss to go out and have a few beers,” he said.
“We’re all in this together and we always have been.”
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