Gavin Hamilton recently emerged from two years of turmoil that would have crushed some hardy spirits.
 |  I love Scottish cricket and I always want to help out in any way |
Sunny of outlook and physically robust, the former England all-rounder is about to climb back on to the international stage with Scotland, his country of birth.
And Hamilton believes the side are good enough to win the ICC Intercontinental Cup, which resumes in the United Arab Emirates on 16 November.
Hamilton, 30, burst into the limelight with some barnstorming displays for Scotland at the 1999 World Cup but played only one Test for England before being unceremoniously dumped.
More harrowing still, Hamilton developed the bowling yips playing for Yorkshire in the 2002 season and was virtually out of commission for a year before being offloaded to Durham.
Having completed a four-year re-qualification period, Hamilton rejoined the Scotland side for the disastrous ICC Six Nations tournament in March but his first season for his new county side was wrecked by a thumb injury.
However, he returned to the Durham line-up for the last six weeks of the campaign and did enough to be included in Scotland's side for next week's semi-final against Kenya.
"It's good to be back," Hamilton told BBC Sport. "I made it clear I love Scottish cricket and I always want to help out in any way.
"The bowling's fine. I'm about 70% of what I can do but at least it's going in the right direction.
"But I've had two years playing purely as a batsman so that tells me how much I've improved.
"I don't really look on the bad side - my batting needed to improve. I had some technical faults and I had two years to have a go at it."
 Warwickshire's Dougie Brown is injured |
And the indefatigable Hamilton is as upbeat about the Scotland side he is returning to.
"We've got a whole new coaching staff and it was probably a much needed change.
"Jim Love took Scotland to a level they probably didn't expect and unfortunately he couldn't take it any further. Now everything's going forward, which is the main thing."
Scotland will be without inspirational all-rounder Dougie Brown for the match against Kenya, but Hamilton is confident coach Tony Judd has moulded a side capable of overcoming any apparent set-backs.
"This is the best Scottish team ever. It's got youth, experience and enthusiasm and the work ethic is second to none.
"Losing Brown is massive but we've got a very good side. The team has changed dramatically but the set-up had more of a professional feel about it when I returned."
However, the encounter with a weakened Kenya will be played over three days, posing new questions for most in the Scotland line-up.
"I've only ever played two three-day games with Scotland, both when I was 17, so it will be a good test.
"I'll be interested to see shot selection but I'll be more interested seeing how we chase runs on a wearing pitch on the third day - that's when a little bit of technique comes into it, and the mental side of things."
If Scotland overcome Kenya in Abu Dhabi they will play either the hosts or Canada in the final the following week - but the 2007 World Cup is the carrot that keeps Hamilton plugging away.
"It's an incentive at this time in my career to keep me wanting more. I'm probably not going to do it again with England so with Scotland it's a second chance."
MMIX
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