Elyse Villani has been patiently waiting for 16 months to get another crack in the ODI arena, and the T20 World Cup winner isn't going to let a recent hamstring injury get in the way.
Villani was axed from the Australian ODI side after making scores of 38, 1, and 8 against England in October, 2017.
Although she retained her spot in the T20 side and was part of the recent World Cup triumph in the West Indies, Villani has been unable to crack back into the ODI set-up - until now.
Villani has been selected in Australia's 13-woman squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting at the WACA Ground on Friday.
The 29-year-old has been grounded in recent weeks by a hamstring injury, but is confident the team's medical staff will give her the green light to play in the series opener.
Whether Villani makes the final XI remains to be seen, but she's ready to make an impact if selected.
"It's such a difficult side to get into, so you have to bide your time and keep your form ticking over and wait for an opportunity to present itself," Villani said.
"I like the way the selectors stick with a winning team. As a batter it's nice to have that consistency, so the six batters that have been doing the job over the last 12-18 months have been really solid.
"I've been the batter sitting on the sidelines. Whether that changes or not I'm not too sure. But I'm ready if it does."
With opener Nicole Bolton still on personal leave, there's a vacant spot at the top of the order.
Either Beth Mooney or Rachael Haynes is tipped to partner Alyssa Healy as opener, but Villani is also keen to throw her hat into the ring.
"I think you'd be crazy not to want that opportunity," Villani said.
"It's nice with the new ball and the two fielders out. If the opportunity came my way, I'd love to do it.
"But I'm more than comfortable to bat in the middle order and do whatever the team needs of me."
Australian Associated Press
