John Hastings is a loyal friend. That is a good thing too, given the long-term trait of when one of them does well in cricket it is at his expense, or vice-versa.
For most of his career it has been Clint Mckay that has been the main "either/or" player for Hastings, in that whenever one has thrived for Victoria, Melbourne Stars or Australia their selection has come at the expense of the other.
As Mckay slipped down the pecking order for all three - he has, to Hastings' delight, thrived in his chance with Sydney Thunder for this Big Bash League - Scott Boland has taken the role of Hastings. 
The prime example of Boland being chosen over Hastings came in last season's Sheffield Shield final, where the younger paceman was given the nod to complement James Pattinson and Peter Siddle, with Hastings carrying the drinks.
Earlier this week it happened again when Boland, four years younger, was a beneficiary of Hastings being dropped from Australia's one-day squad for the series against India starting next week.
When Hastings' long absence from the national team ended in   September, when his concurrent county stint made him an attractive reinforcement when paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile withdrew due to injury, he suspected it may have been a short-term arrangement.
The bowling all-rounder got man of the match in the series decider - he claimed 4-21 from 10 overs - but even then knew he may not return given the depth of fast bowling in Australia.
But when a number of pacemen succumbed to injury - Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins, Coulter-Nile - and Hastings had posted impressive figures in both the Matador Cup and BBL his hopes of keeping his place for the India series surged. That is what made his exclusion, in favour of Boland, Kane Richardson and Joel Paris, more painful.
"It was really hard for me over the past couple of days to sit there and see why I wasn't in the team," Hastings said. "This time was probably the only time I really thought I deserved my spot in the Australian team."
Hastings' determination to be motivated by the snub, rather than disheartened, came when he and Boland on Wednesday night produced what their Stars teammate Kevin Pietersen declared the best death-bowling he had seen. The 30-year-old said it had come from extensive practice.
"Not many people go the yorker any more. They usually go variations or mix their field up for different balls. But we work pretty closely, Scotty and I, and we believe that if you can nail a yorker then it doesn't matter what field you have, they can't hit that. That's one skill we've really been practising over the past 12 months, especially ahead of the Matador Cup as well," he said.
Hastings said Mick Lewis, his bowling coach at the Stars and Victoria, was "proud as punch" at the way he and Boland had closed out the innings against Hobart.
Hastings was even more rapt that Boland was in the one-day squad, even though he wasn't. "I know how hard he works. He's almost like a brother to me. I've watched him closely over the past five years and I'd like to think I've mentored him. And he's helped me too," Hastings said. "It's probably going back to Clint Mckay days, where if I wasn't in he was, or vice-versa."
Almost as conspicuous as Hastings' consistency in the BBL - over the past two and a half seasons he has taken a league-high 37 wickets at 15.51, and just 7.12 runs an over - has been his ability to this season regularly exceed 135km/h.
He has cited shedding about five kilograms, by reducing his carbohydrate intake, as key to his career-best condition, as he will demonstrate for the Stars in Saturday night's second Melbourne derby at Etihad Stadium.
Hastings has not given up on selection for the looming Twenty20 series against India, nor the World Twenty20 in   March. But even if he stays on the periphery for both he will not give up, because he is driven to prove he is a better player than he has shown in his limited opportunities at international level.
"I know my game inside and out. I've played it around the world. When I first played for Australia four or five years ago I felt I was still pretty raw, pretty young," he said. "What would hurt me most if I didn't get another opportunity was that you've never really seen the best of me at international level. That's the main reason I want another opportunity, to show I really can perform."