The Surge Pod: How McSweeney bounced back after tough Test call

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Nathan McSweeney has been through it all this summer.

It started with achieving a childhood dream in making the Australian Test team, before losing his spot after three matches. 

But his professionalism shone through, with the 25-year-old immediately making a splash in his return for the Brisbane Heat with 78*.

McSweeney joined The Surge Podcast to discuss the highs and lows of the last three months, with the batter fresh off a re-call to the Test team ahead of the Sri Lanka tour. 

"When you get dropped, you're always wondering where I sit. Have they seen enough? Have they written me off?" McSweeney said on The Surge Podcast.

"It definitely takes a hit for sure, your confidence.”

"It's never smooth sailing; there's a lot of people that have been left out before and come back and been really successful.”

After being dropped for the Boxing Day Test, McSweeney returned to the Brisbane Heat and immediately guided his team to a last-ball victory against the Adelaide Strikers. 

After some tough news, it was right where McSweeney needed to be. 

"It was a weird feeling obviously," McSweeney said.

"It's a great place to be after some bad news. My family is up there, a lot of my good mates are from Brisbane, so to be able to share some time with them."

"Just get back out on the cricket field is something I love doing and not sitting in a hotel room feeling sorry for myself, so I think that was actually a good thing."

"It was an important thing for me looking back on it now, I definitely needed to get back out there and play cricket and spend some time around friends and family."

Peter Handscomb empathised with McSweeney, with the Stars batter knowing all too well what it's like to have to work your way back after being omitted from the Test team. 

"It's tough to do it. Credit to Nathan, I think the mindset he's taken there and seeing it as a positive opportunity to go back and prove yourself again that you are good enough," Handscomb said on The Surge Podcast.

"Not only proving it to the selectors and the country because now everyone is watching you. Your name is under lights."

"But also just proving to yourself that you are still good enough to play this game."

"Sometimes you need those knocks to make yourself feel good again and trust yourself. And then it all just starts to feel good again."

You can watch the full episode of The Surge on YouTube with Adam White, Peter Handscomb and Nathan McSweeney or catch up with the latest clips in the Big Bash App.