Ferguson looking to invoke speed anxiety in England

Having made a mark in the white-ball formats in 2019, Ferguson is now looking forward to a possible Test debut. © Getty

Lockie Ferguson is hoping to be a bowling manifestation of a cat unleashed among the pigeons should a Test debut materialise during the forthcoming two-match series against England. The 28-year-old was named in a 15-man squad, a reward for his consistently excellent performances in white-ball formats and on the first-class circuit.

Ferguson, understandably elated at a call-up that has eluded him for a good part of seven years, is hoping to case flutters in the opposition camp with his visceral pace. "That's part of my role in the team ... to bring a bit of anxiety potentially by bowling extra speed," Ferguson said on Friday (November 15). "England have the same thing with the Jofra Archers and the like and it does the same thing for both teams. Hopefully, I can showcase the talents I have.

"It [Test cricket] opens you up to different tactics in how you bowl at batters and putting them under pressure and potentially making them a little bit nervous about the short ball."

Ferguson has enjoyed a very successful in international white-ball cricket, particularly at the World Cup in England where his 21 wickets was second best to only Mitchell Starc's tally. But the fast bowler is aware of the completely different demands of red-ball cricket.

"It's definitely going to be a new challenge. Like all the formats, it took a step up from the domestic level. Fortunately, I've played quite a lot of these (England) players before, so it's not completely new. But the red ball is a whole different beast. It's the longer form both mentally and physically and so it's going to be a challenge for sure," Ferguson said.

"I understand what it takes to be a fast bowler at that level. You can't always go 100 per cent like you potentially can at one-day and T20. You have to pick and choose when to bowl quick spells and that's part of the learning process that I've been working to for a few years now. But at the same time, you have to be accurate. Personally, that's one thing I've worked on for a long time - bowling quick but making sure I'm putting it where I want to put it."

Ferguson's inclusion, should he make the playing XI, will add a whole new dimension to New Zealand's fast bowling attack. New Zealand are second on the Test standings, behind India, on the back of their existing pace troika of Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner. Ferguson has admitted breaking through amidst such competition will be tough, but is eager to give it his all when given the chance.

"We've got three internationally recognised world-class bowlers who have been doing an exceptional job and put us to No. 2 on the test rankings. That's awesome and it's great to be around those guys learning. It's going to be a tough team to break into but there's obviously a lot of Test cricket coming up," Ferguson said