Graham Onions 'desperate' to get back into England Test side

London, Dec 8: England fast bowler Graham Onions has said that he expects to be named in the national squad for next month’s Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to seal a comeback.

Onions last played for England in the Cape Town Test against South Africa in January 2010 before suffering a career-threatening back injury.

“I’m desperate to get back into that England side and I don’t feel I’m a forgotten man any more,” the Daily Express quoted Onions, as saying.

“It would mean so much to be part of English cricket again,” he added.

The 29-year-old also admitted that after undergoing a surgery he feared he would never play again.

“Whenever you have major surgery you think, ‘Am I going to overcome this?’ Everyone knows your back’s a pretty important thing in cricket. Within 24 hours I was out of hospital, but I had to spend a couple of weeks in bed pretty much doing nothing,” Onions said.

“I generally had a lot of stiffness and, if I moved it in any kind of way, it caused a lot of discomfort. When I was going through the rehab I certainly had doubts that the operation had worked. There were times when I was in the gym, thinking, ‘This does not feel right’.

“I just wanted to train as hard as I could, remembering the good times for England. And that drove me on,” he added.

Earlier, in August, Onions was recalled to the England squad as cover for James Anderson for the final match of the four Test series against India.

At that stage in the season, he had played nine County Championship matches, taking 39 wickets at an average of 28.82.