Star Victorian batsman Brad Hodge has launched a scathing attack on national selectors after being overlooked for Australia's upcoming limited overs matches against South Africa.
Hodge fired on and off the field on Thursday after being left out of Australia's 13-man squads to face South Africa in two Twenty20 and five one-day international matches this summer.
An angry Hodge did his hopes for a national recall no harm out on the field, carving a man-of-the-match 73 in Victoria's crushing Twenty20 Big Bash win over Western Australia on Thursday night.
But his stinging post-match comments would hot have helped his cause.
Hodge bit his lip when interviewed by national selector Merv Hughes during the Fox Sports broadcast but could not resist when later quizzed by the press.
In a thinly veiled attack on Western Australian Shaun Marsh, Hodge said he had better credentials than some of the players selected in the Australian squads.
Hodge has hit 264 runs at an average of 52.8 and a strike rate of 94.62 in six Ford Ranger Cup matches this summer, and is currently the leading run-scorer in the Twenty20 Big Bash with an average of 65 from four matches.
By comparison, Marsh, who was named in both Australian squads, has averaged a mediocre 25.16 in domestic one-day cricket and has scored only 68 runs in his past four Twenty20 games.
"The idea to be selected for Australia is to score runs isn't it? And that's what I've done," said Hodge, who said he was pleased Bushrangers team-mates Cameron White, David Hussey, Peter Siddle and Andrew McDonald had recently received national call-ups.
"On that you'd think I was a good chance to play. I think that if you look at the criteria there's some guys in that side who mightn't have done as well as I have. Unfortunately, that's the way it is."
"As I say, the criteria is to score runs and I've done that heavily for a number of years. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working for me."
"Maybe they might change it and score less runs and I might get selected."
Hodge, who made 67 and 27 in his most recent appearance for Australia in a Test match in the Caribbean last year, conceded he may have played his last game for his country.
"Maybe I'll play for Australia in lawn bowls in the future, maybe tennis, maybe rowing, I'm not sure yet," he said.
"(I'm) not sure about cricket. I hope not but maybe if this sport doesn't work I'll try another one."
The 34-year-old said Hughes had 'for the first time in a long time' spoken to him on Thursday about his exclusion from the squads.
"I'm available for selection. If anyone wants to ring up Cricket Victoria I'm sure my phone number will be available somewhere along the line," he said.
"I think they must have lost their phone the selectors."
Hodge's latest snub continues his testy relationship with national selectors.
He was sensationally dumped from the Test side in 2006 just two matches after scoring an unbeaten double century.
Hodge has played six Tests, averaging 55.88, with one ton and two half-centuries next to his name.