Tymal Mills explains how The Hundred helped him earn England T20 World Cup spot

Left arm whizz Tymal Mills has hailed The Hundred for helping to restart his England career as he jetted off to the T20 World Cup on Monday.

The 29-year-old Sussex speedster turned out for the inaugural title-winning Southern Brave in the new domestic tournament, playing in every game.

And his eye-catching performances were enough to convince the national coach and captain that he is fit enough and good enough for another shot at international level after five caps following his debut in 2016.

Skipper Eoin Morgan had a Hundred to forget personally, but the re-emergence of Mills as an opening and death bowler could be worth its weight in silverware if he is able to fill the shoes vacated by the injured Jofra Archer.

Asked whether he would be back in the England squad without the new tournament, Mills admitted: "Probably not.

"I always believed I was good enough to get back in the mix and play at that level, it’s just been a case of being able to prove I was fit enough to be selectable.

"I saw it as a really good opportunity to play a full tournament, and I’m really happy that I played every game and I bowled my full allocation in every game.

"It was about using the platform that the Blast and the Hundred gave me this summer to hopefully prove that I can back up performances, and back up games.

"Every match in the Hundred was televised so you could see who was bowling well.

"You could see if someone was only bowling well in certain situations, or if someone had one good game and five bad games, you see it and the commentators talk about it."

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After finishing 2020 with a back stress fracture there was no guarantee that Mills would be back playing for Sussex, let alone being on England’s radar this year.

"That was tough," Mills said. "Most of the winter I spent in a back brace, day and night, apart from when I was asleep or in the shower.

"Those were the two times I could take the brace off, so for three months – December, January, February – I was in the brace. It was tough mentally more than anything.

"At least I got to spend more time with my young daughter who was six months at the time. That was a blessing."

Mills might have made it into the squad, but now he is targeting a place in the eleven where he hopes he can be a genuine replacement for Archer when the game is on the line at the very end.

"They are the most high pressure situations you can find yourself in as a cricketer," he said. "And I’ve got to earn the right to be there.

"I'm pretty level, pretty calm at the end of my mark, I also understand that I'm not afraid to fail so if I'm called upon to do it in the World Cup I'll certainly step forward straight away."

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