'In India my side was sore and my body wasn't feeling good. But I'm starting to regain some of my pace, even if I probably will never be as quick as I was.'
It was that honest admission about his pace to England coach Duncan Fletcher on last winter's India tour that led to Andrew Flintoff being plucked from the ECB academy in Australia, from where the Lancashire man's international career impressively lifted off.
There are not too many others who can currently say that about Rod Marsh's Adelaide camp, whose inmates have not prospered this summer as some of their early season form suggested they might.
In fact, it is a dearth of young talent that will see White fighting it out with other thirtysomethings for his place.
White added: 'It looks like I'll be competing with Dominic Cork to be the fifth bowler - but it's great to be back.'
The message that the selection of White, Cork and John Crawley also sends out is that Australia will be tackled this winter with a pretty familiar collection of players - the latter two having toured there in 1998.
In fairness to the selectors they have got plenty right this summer, however conservative they have been. They may not be wrong in these injury-hampered circumstances either, but the lack of new faces is still depressing, especially if Glamorgan speedster Simon Jones is overlooked again on Thursday.
