KEY POINTS:
Hamish Marshall acknowledges he's under pressure to keep his place in the New Zealand cricket team for the upcoming cricket series against Sri Lanka, but believes he can use the domestic scene to turn it around.
The Northern District batsman was one of top-order failures at the recent Champions Trophy in India where New Zealand reached the semifinals.
It prompted calls to axe him from the side.
"You know it's there and fair enough, I suppose. You've got to perform ... you have your ups and downs. It's just part of the sporting world and if you put yourself in that kind of situation where you can get dropped, you have to learn to cope with the disappointments as well as the successes," he told the Northern Advocate.
He said the only way to respond to criticisms was to start scoring runs.
"I'm looking forward to the coming summer and getting on with it. After last season and what was written, you end up by saying 'bugger it, I'll just get on with it and try and forget about it.' I'm looking forward to making a contribution for ND or whoever I'm playing for."
Marshall, 26, scored 1, 4 and 5 at the Champions Trophy, leaving him with an average of 15 in his last 20 innings.
He had arrived in India after a solid season with Gloucestershire.
Lou Vincent and Peter Fulton were the others who failed in the top order.
Fulton posted scores of 2, 7 and 2.
Marshall is now preparing with the Northern Districts side for the State Championship season.
The season gets underway tomorrow with Otago hosting Canterbury but ND don't play their first game until next Wednesday when they meet Canterbury.
- NZPA
