Australia
Hodge not thinking of Australia recall
Hodge - in excellent form for Victoria.
Brad Hodge claims he spends more time pondering the condiments to accompany his next steak than he does contemplating his prospects of returning to Australia's one-day international team.
Hodge's blazing start to the domestic season has renewed a strong push from within his home state of Victoria for the 35-year-old to be recalled for the upcoming Twenty20 international and three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.
After opening the season with an unbeaten 134 against the Warriors at the WACA a fortnight ago, Hodge smashed 140 from just 121 deliveries to guide the Bushrangers to a come-from-behind Ryobi Cup victory over the Bulls at the Gabba last weekend.
But Hodge is not getting too excited about his chances of an ODI recall.
"I don't really sit here any more and digest how I'm going to represent Australia," said Hodge ahead of training in Melbourne on Wednesday.
"All I think about really is what sort of sauce I'm going to put with my sirloin and whether I'm going to have a shiraz or a pinot noir - that's basically all I think about these days at the end of the day.
"I'm in a nice place being able to relax and play cricket.
"No doubt I think that I can perform pretty well at the highest level."
Hodge, who retired from first-class cricket in the middle of last season to concentrate on the shorter forms of the game, said he was hitting the ball "as good as ever".
Asked whether he would be available for the series against Sri Lanka starting in Perth on 31 October, Hodge said: "I've just booked a holiday to Queensland, so whether that coincides with them, I might have to knock that opportunity back.
"I'm going to take my kids to the theme parks and have some fun, enjoy some time with my wife while the guys are fielding for 100 overs in a Sheffield Shield match.
"That sounds like a pretty good deal."
He added: "All this talk about me playing at a higher level is a bit baffling but I guess performance speaks volumes and that's where it comes from.
"It's nice to have the speculation because it means you're playing well, you're doing your job the way you should be doing it.
"I've tried so hard to play for Australia for a long period of time and it hasn't worked - well, not long enough, anyway.
"It's only fair that there is speculation because if it was anyone else putting these performances up they would be definitely talked about."