First Test preview: England v Bangladesh
After conquering the world at the shortest form of the game, England make a return to the longest this week, but not after savouring the last few scents of that sweet smell of World Twenty20 success.
There aren’t many people who are invited to a champagne reception at the home of the Prime Minister upon their first ever visit to London, but Ajmal Shahzad is one of them.
The Yorkshire-born paceman doesn’t often leave his home county, and had never visited, nor played, in the capital before Monday’s meeting with David Cameron at 10 Downing Street, after which he revealed that the new Prime Minister had addressed England’s World Twenty20 winning captain as “Colin Collingwood.”
In fairness, Cameron has probably got a lot on his mind, more so than Collingwood (that’s Paul, Prime Minister), who has been rested from England’s return to action in the two-match Test series with Bangladesh, which starts on Thursday at Lord’s.
Stuart Broad is left out too, which opens the door for Shahzad to play, although he looks set to miss out to the 21-year-old, 6ft. 7ins Middlesex fast bowler Steven Finn, who took four wickets in the two Tests in Bangladesh in March, his first appearances in England whites.
Finn, Michael Carberry and James Tredwell became the 646th, 647th and 648th men to play Test cricket for England on that tour, but it is the arrival of the 649th that has created an eager anticipation.
Arguably, Eoin Morgan’s England Test debut has been the most enthusiastically awaited since Kevin Pietersen strolled into the 2005 Ashes.
Ian Bell has spoken of how his Warwickshire team-mates were attempting, and usually failing, to copy Morgan’s flicks, tricks and sweeps in the nets after one particular World Twenty20 outing, and they are the professionals. The impact that the 23-year-old former Irish international can have on the young cricket watching public could be immeasurable.
He’s unconcerned about any potential criticism that could come his way should he get out whilst attempting one of his unconventional shots, nor does he think he’ll get bored with the traditional version of the game.
“My failure [in the longer game] has been with indiscipline and I think I have corrected that to an extent,” he said.
“I have the patience to bat for five or six hours. I might have about 400 by then. I think I can translate my style to Test cricket. It is not really about playing any differently, more with batting to the situation of the game.
“Reverse sweeps I have played millions of times. I have got out 10 per cent of times but it has got me 90 per cent of my runs. I will just assess how valuable the shot will be. I might not play it for a year, but if the time and situation are right, I will.”
He might not be playing them off the bowling of Bangladesh’s 23-year-old captain Shakib Al Hasan though.
The big Chelsea fan had to cancel his planned trip to Stamford Bridge this week after a bout of chickenpox, but he is confident that he’ll feature – an infectious optimism that will need to spread through his side if they are to stand any chance of a result.
Opener Tamim Iqbal has also been struggling with a wrist injury that required hospital treatment this week, but coach Jamie Siddons is confident he’ll play, and he’s confident of a good performance.
“We've played good Test cricket over the last six months,” he said, “we pushed England in Bangladesh and hopefully, all things being even, we will play really well at Lord's.”
That remains to be seen, but with England as overwhelming favourites, an upset isn’t expected.
Who knows, if they can wrap it up early then it might leave time for Shahzad to go sightseeing.
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