Under-19 snub drives Hameed towards ultimate ambition

It might seem as though we are at the start of the Haseeb Hameed story. We are not. Even journalists who have been covering Lancashire cricket over the last two years were not present when it began.

That occurred, as far as it can be precisely dated, in the living room of a family home in Bolton some 15 years ago, with a four- or five-year-old boy nagging his Dad to bowl at him. Soon he discovered that this bat-and-ball business was all he wanted to do with his life.

It might also seem that Hameed's career has been one of unblemished success. No, that would be wrong, too. There have been lows in Hameed's career and one of the many impressive things about the round of interviews he did in the aftermath of his England selection was his willingness to talk about them.

Anyone who has been left out of a side or turned down for a job could learn from this 19-year-old who is willing to share his life experiences and lessons with anyone interested enough to ask. For example, after progressing through Lancashire and England's junior ranks, he was informed nine months ago that he was not selected for the Under-19 World Cup.

"That was probably the lowest point," he said "I was expected to go and had put my mind to it, so to be told I wasn't going was pretty heartbreaking. I remember how low we all felt, me and my family. Breaking the news to them was especially tough.

"But it motivated me and there was a desire in myself to achieve great things because of that. To go to the place where the World Cup was held nine months on with the main England side is incredible. It is pretty surreal.

"I am not going to say I didn't think about proving people wrong, or making a point, and to go out there and do just that is really pleasing. I had played through all the England age groups, all that was left was for me to play in the Under-19 World Cup, so to not get the nod at the final hurdle hurt a lot. But it motivated me to work harder."

Even this most articulate of 19-year-olds might accept that "even harder" would be more accurate. Already Hameed had been playing or practising more or less seven days a week in his relentless search for improvement.

"The one thing I remember from the practice sessions with my dad even at the age of 16, he was challenging me to a level where I couldn't always cope. He told me then that he wasn't preparing me for Under-19 level, or even first-class level, he was preparing me for Test cricket.

"Because of that, I have wanted to play Test cricket at a young age, because he was preparing me at a young age. I didn't want to be someone that has an average England career, I want to achieve great things in the game, do things like Cook and Root have done."

And at a time when so many critics are rightly lauding Hameed's ability, it is illuminating to hear him talk about the importance of adversity in his career. He succeeds partly because he has failed.

"It is important to taste that adversity because you appreciate the good times more," he said. "It also helps you realise what it takes to get to a certain level. I had another moment when I was 14 when I suffered my first major dip in form. It showed me that I needed to keep working hard to get better and better.

"It all gets tougher, and to combat that you can't just be content with what you have achieved in the past. You have to push yourself further and further. You look at Ronaldo and Messi, they have already achieved everything in the game, but they are hungry for more. And for young lads like me, it is good to look at role models like them.

"You are never really satisfied with what you have achieved, you are always looking at ways of getting the best out of yourself. Then there are no limits to what you can achieve."

No limits, perhaps, as long as you retain your focus on what matters, which, in Hameed's case, is scoring runs. As the hullabaloo continues over his selection for England's tours of Bangladesh, he knows that will be important, too.

"Ashley Giles told me it was a case of putting performances in and recognition will come with that, but if you start thinking about the recognition, your performances could be hindered.

"The important thing is to think about your performances and being in the right frame of mind to perform. I'm glad I've been able to do that recently for Lancashire as well. It's amazing how quickly things happen, there's no barrier to you achieving your goals as long as you put the work in.

"My emotions haven't allowed me to think too far ahead and I think that's a good thing because we have a massive game at Edgbaston next week. The thing that's got me here is taking small steps and looking at the next game, the next bowler and I'll continue to do that.

"Ash and the coaches here have never tried to alter my technique too much but they've told me when there were little changes to be made. They put things forward and it's then been whether I liked the idea.

"I am confident in my ability to play the longer format now. I know I've only played 19 first-class games, which doesn't sound a lot, but I like to think I learn quite quickly when thrown into difficult situations, that has been another key in me getting the call at such a young age. So I am confident that if I can continue doing what I do hopefully that will stand me in good stead.

"There is no reason why what has worked for me so far will not work at the highest level. If there are any changes to be made - and I am always looking to get better - and I feel it is the right move, of course I will be happy to do that. But at the moment I feel my game is in a good enough place to hold me in good stead against Bangladesh."