Xavier Bartlett is eager to add to his international caps this summer after a breakout 12 months
Rising fast bowler Xavier Bartlett is on the cusp of returning to action after suffering a side strain that ended his tour of England prematurely.
Bartlett injured his side in the first T20 against England in September, ruling him out of the subsequent T20s and five-match ODI series that followed.
It would have been the Queenslander's first extended run in the national side, having burst onto the scene with back-to-back ODI four-wicket hauls against West Indies in February.
The swing bowler played two T20s against Scotland on the first leg of the UK trip in the absence of the more established quicks, but his tour was over 3.4 overs into his first international match in England.
Bartlett returned home for rehabilitation and his recovery has gone according to schedule. Now the 25-year-old is itching to get back on the park.
"It's been about five weeks now since I've done that side strain," Bartlett told reporters on Friday.
"I'm back to a full run (up) now, so it's really starting to take shape.
"(I've) never done one before … it was obviously really disappointing and frustrating to pick it up when I did."
Although Bartlett missed out on a spot in the ODI squad to face Pakistan that was announced on Monday, he is hopeful of returning to the national team in the T20 series that follows.
That series finishes with matches in Sydney and Hobart but it's the first T20 on November 14 in Brisbane that he is targeting.
Bartlett is yet to play an international match in his home state. He has built an imposing record for the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba: he has 20 wickets in only 13 games there, averaging a wicket every 13 balls.
Before then though, it will be back to club cricket for the right armer as he gets back to match fitness.
"I'll probably play some premier cricket for the Gold Coast," Bartlett said.
"We've got some Shield cricket and one-day cricket with Queensland… I've got one eye on the T20 series against Pakistan.
"It would be pretty amazing to get the opportunity to play out the Gabba for Australia.
"It's something that you do dream of as a kid, to try and play a game for Australia at your home ground.
"So if that opportunity arises, it'd be a pretty cool moment."
Bartlett is one of the fast bowlers firmly on the selectors' radar, having been upgraded to a Cricket Australia contract for the first time in March.
He was initially lined up to play in the County Championship with Kent over the winter before CA pulled him from that competition with an eye on managing his workload ahead of the summer.
A compromise was found to allow Bartlett to play in the T20 Blast, where he played eight matches and took nine wickets, earning valuable experience in English conditions.
Following that stint, Bartlett captured four wickets at 17.25 in his three games against Scotland and England before his injury.
