By Kate Laven

Over the next two years, Hampshire all-rounder Sean Ervine has some life-changing decisions to make if he is to resume his international career.

Hants crush Yorks to reach final

Ervine, a Zimbabwean with Irish grandparents and passport, turned his back on his country having earned five Test caps, after a row over selection policy.

Depending on where he decides to settle, the 22-year-old could represent England or Australia in future.

But for now his sights are set firmly on Lord's and the challenge posed by Warwickshire in Saturday's C&G Trophy final.

It was a difficult decision to leave Zimbabwe, he says, but one that almost two years later he does not regret.

"I felt strongly that the team should always be picked on merit and along with a few other guys, was pretty upfront about what I thought," Ervine explains.

"There were certain things happening to the players that worried me. If we stood up for what we believed in, we were nailed.

"They didn't seem to want us involved in the set up. I told the other guys that I could not see a way forward and four days after that, I left.

"I couldn't resign my contract because they might have sued me so at the age of 21, I had to retire."

Hampshire have given me more opportunities than Western Australia but if I get more opportunities this winter, it will make my decision much harder Sean Ervine

He began talking to officials at Western Australia, through his contact with former Zimbabwe coach Geoff Marsh, and as soon as he was offered a two year contract, he packed his bags and left .

"Playing for my country was an issue at first but then I decided I just wanted to play cricket," he says.

"I look back now and regret that it happened but I'm really happy with the decision I made and am looking forward to the future.

"I will never go back to Zimbabwe to play cricket but my family is there so I went back last Christmas for a week to see them, which was the only time I've seen them in two years."

His family manage a farm which is part of an orphanage which is run and funded by an American Church Council and as a result, is not under threat of seizure by the Zimbabwe government.

Ervine's first season in Perth, playing club cricket for Fremantle, started badly.

For eight months, he was homesick but his fortunes changed after a short visit home to see his family and shortly after, he made his debut for the Western Australia Second XI.

He also met and impressed Paul Terry, Hampshire's coach who doubles up at Melville CC, and signed a two-year contract in October 2004 to move to the Rose Bowl.

ERVINE'S ZIMBABWE STATS One-day internationals: 42 698 runs at 25.85, highest 100 41 wkts at 38.07, best 3/29 Tests: 5 261 runs at 32.62, highest 86 9 wkts at 43.11, best 4/146

"I had no idea what to expect. I was pretty na�ve but just wanted to play as much as possible," he says.

"It didn't take long to settle in. It has gone really well, better than I expected."

In his first season, Ervine has collected 657 first-class runs and 34 wickets so far.

He contributed regular runs in the middle order until he was promoted to open, where he made his highest score of 74.

In the C&G semi-final against Yorkshire, he steered his side to victory with a superb 99-ball 100.

"If I can do the same in the final, we will win," he says confidently.

He attributes much of his success this summer to Hampshire captain Shane Warne.

"There isn't a word to describe him. I have never met anyone like him. He wants to win so much and that has been a real inspiration to me.

"He believes in our ability and that has made us all believe we can win. It would mean everything to the team and the club to win the C&G Trophy."

Beyond that, he is unsure where his future lies but knows he has more hard decisions ahead.

"At the moment, I am playing every ball, every over, every game as it comes. In the end, I feel that cricket will take me where it wants to take me," he continues.

"I could play for either England or Australia and I will have to make a decision about that in the next couple of years.

"Hampshire have given me more opportunities than Western Australia but if I get more opportunities this winter, it will make my decision much harder."