Paul Wilson will take confidence out of his recent World Cup appointment as the Medowie-based umpire prepares to re-enter the Test cricket arena almost two decades after his playing debut.
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The 47-year-old, more affectionately known by his nickname Blocker, has been called up to officiate next week's one-off Test match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Chittagong.
Wilson, a former fast bowler who played his sole Test for Australia in Kolkata in 1998, was recently out in the middle for five one-day World Cup games in the United Kingdom.
Now he's ready to step up to the longer Test format.
"There's a sense of pride and a sense of achievement to reach this [Test] level," Wilson told the Newcastle Herald.
"I've done it playing 21 years ago so it's a real thrill to be back in the Test arena. I've had a couple of years umpiring ODI and T20 so this is exciting."
Wilson, who leaves for Bangladesh this weekend, will be next to English umpire Nigel Long for his second type of Test debut.
The fixture isn't part of the ICC World Test Championship and Wilson said it presented the "ideal chance for a first one" in charge.
Newcastle-born Wilson, a Southern Lakes product, said the 2019 World Cup was an "awesome experience" and allowed him to be around the "best of the best" in terms of cricket "players, coaches and officials".
He found building rapport with fellow international umpires beneficial.
"That was probably the biggest thing over there, umpiring with an almost completely new group of people," Wilson said.
"You get to know everybody a bit better and being in that environment then helps you out in the middle."
The upcoming Test, which starts next Thursday (September 5), won't be Wilson's first five-day affair as an umpire.
"Having done a few Sheffield Shield finals [in Australia] that have gone for five days, it's an advantage and helps as preparation for Test level," he said.
Wilson, who has already notched up 28 one-day internationals and 11 T20 internationals, is set to become Australia's 90th Test umpire.
He'll join a select group of people, including fellow countryman Paul Reiffel, to both play and umpire Test cricket.
State umpire manager and NSW Cricket, Umpires and Scorers Association spokesperson Darren Goodger was supportive of Wilson's promotion.
"Paul has worked hard to achieve [this] goal," Goodger told Cricket NSW media.
"We hope and believe it will be the first of many.
"Paul umpires with common sense, understanding the place of the match official, [and] is respected across the cricket community for his approach.
"He possesses a wonderful attitude toward the game and is a great advocate for match officials, having been a former professional cricketer.
"We wish him well."
