South Africa batsman Jacques Rudolph eyeing a comeback to international cricket

South African batsman Jacques Rudolph has claimed to be ready for an International comeback, after showing some strong performances in the domestic season. He last played for the national-side back in 2006, but has been unable to impress the selectors since then. The stylish left-hander has represented his team in 35 Test matches, 45 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and just one T20 game.
The 29-year-old stated, “Looking back over the last nine or 10 years, I've learnt a lot. There were a lot of character building things that happened in my career and I'm in a good space at the moment. My first priority is to try and get back into the team and to establish myself in all three forms of the game.”
Rudolph doesn’t have good memories of the last matches he played for his team in any format of the game. The last international game he played for his country was a Test match against Sri Lanka, in August 2006. However, he was unable to make an impression back then, scoring a total of 28 runs in both his innings. The Proteas lost that match by just one wicket in the end.
South Africa were also on the losing side in the last ODI and T20, which featured Rudolph. The promising left-hander would want to change this history and contribute to his team’s success in the future, especially in difficult circumstances. He performed well under pressure situations in the domestic events, both as a player and a leader of the Titans.
Commenting on his team’s inability to perform in pressure situations, Rudolph stated, “We do carry this tag of chokers. Some people think it's fair, others think it's unfair. I think, to a degree, that it's unfair. But, in pressure situations, we just haven't been able to go through.”
Like many other South Africans, Rudolph was also disappointed over his team’s failure to live up to the expectations in the ICC World Cup 2011. The Proteas had a very strong start to the tournament, ending up at the top of their pool. However, they were unable to go through the knockout stages, losing their quarter-final match against a weaker New Zealand side.