Australia-born cricketer Jim Allenby, who is currently playing for English county side Glamorgan, has reportedly declared an interest in returning to play cricket in his birth country.
However, the cricketer feels that he has a better chance of reaching the international stage with England.
According to News.com.au, Allenby is a virtual unknown in his home country despite an impressive first-class career in the UK, where this season he has averaged 59 with the bat and picked up 23 wickets with his medium-pacers, adding that he also led Glamorgan to the domestic 40-over final at Lord's.
Although it was widely assumed that the Perth-born Allenby, who was in Western Australia's Under-19 set-up, had given up on ever playing for Australia to focus on getting a call-up with England, he, however, revealed that he still expects a call from the country of his birth.
However, the 30-year-old Allenby feels that his age may count against him in any quest to play for Australia despite the recent resurgence of experienced players such as Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin and Adam Voges, adding that even if he is considering a call, he does not realistically except it to happen.
The report mentioned that Allenby had decided to pursue a full-time cricket career in the UK, eventually nailing down a spot with Leicestershire, with the cricketer saying that he had a not-so-successful stint with Western Australia few years back, following which he committed fully to playing in England.
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Although Allenby has taken a renewed interest in his former state with a fresh start under the team's coach Justin Langer last season, he is aware that he would still be forced to play as an overseas player.
The report said that the fact could curtail any hopes of Allenby signing with an Australian Twenty20 franchise despite a recent change in Cricket Australia's policy on Australians holding dual citizenship.
