John Turner Eager to Establish Himself After Maiden International Wickets

Hampshire fast bowler John Turner is determined to validate his rapid selection to the England squad following his long-awaited debut in Antigua this week. After being part of five England squads over 15 months, Turner finally made his first appearance on Thursday, securing his maiden international wicket on Saturday when he dismissed Brandon King with a spectacular catch from Jordan Cox at backward point.

"It's nice to have been involved in the last few months, but now to get that opportunity to actually play is really exciting," Turner said. "To get your first wicket is really cool and is probably a moment I'll never forget."

Turner is one of the inaugural members of England's 'pace project,' having been fast-tracked to the international stage after just 70 days from his professional debut with Hampshire to receiving an England call-up. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has shown confidence in Turner by offering him a new 12-month development contract.

"I think the whole 'pace project', as they call it, is really exciting," Turner noted. "There's quite a lot of us in and around. Just being part of the squads is really exciting, and I’m keen to put my name in the hat for a spot on the Test team or the T20 team. I think I'm still very raw, I'm very young and still have a lot to learn."

Despite having only played two matches for England so far, Turner considers his outings a qualified success. On his debut, he regularly troubled King and Evin Lewis, although he did not take a wicket. In his second match, he dismissed both within his first seven balls, yet his economy rates of 5.2 and 7 runs per over surprised many observers given his impressive potential.

Turner humorously mentioned that he was awarded his cap by Jofra Archer, who jokingly declared Turner as the best player at "PIG," the headers and volleys warm-up game played by the England squad, a claim that Turner readily dismissed, stating that he is actually at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Originally excelling more at hockey than cricket, Turner recently completed a degree in economics and finance at Exeter University. He plans to pursue a master's degree in the coming years to enhance his CV. Remarkably, he balanced his cricketing commitments with academic responsibilities during The Hundred, finishing a match for the Trent Rockets, driving back to Exeter for a 9:30 AM exam, and then returning to Nottingham the next day for another match.

Turner acknowledged the unique nature of being selected based on potential rather than a long track record. "It's obviously really exciting that someone sees something in you, probably before you see it in yourself," he said. He recognizes the challenges faced by other players who excel in county cricket but do not receive similar opportunities, often due to perceptions regarding their physical attributes.

"It's a tough grind for them, and you feel for them. But on the flip side, I'm fortunate enough to be benefiting from this and hopefully just make the most of it," he added.

Despite his success, Turner has noted that his pace has not been at its peak during the tour, which he aims to rectify. "It's one of my biggest attributes but I feel like I've been down on that in the last few games. I reckon I've been low 80s when I prefer to be high 80s. I know in The Hundred I was high 80s with one or two in the 90s," he explained.

He is committed to analyzing what might be affecting his performance and aims to regain his top speed. "It's about hitting the deck hard and making life uncomfortable for the batter. I want to use whatever the surface has to offer—whether that's nip, low bounce, or anything else—and just be really attacking to try and be that point of difference."