Confident Shahzad ready to seize chance

The Yorkshire allrounder, Ajmal Shahzad, has admitted that his call-up to England's Test and one-day squad came as "a shock and a surprise", but having earned his chance on the strength of a spirited display as a net bowler during the recent Test tour of South Africa, he has promised to take that same determination to Bangladesh where he intends to stake a claim for a place in the starting XI.

Shahzad, who was born in Huddersfield, was singled out as a major prospect during his days as a teenage sensation for Windhill in the Bradford League, and made history in 2004, at the age of 18, when he became the first Yorkshire-born Asian to represent his county. However, his opportunities since then have been severely limited both by injury and by the glut of recognised fast bowlers on the Yorkshire books, and it wasn't until he claimed 40 wickets and scored 445 runs in the 2009 season that he enjoyed an extended run in the first team.

"I've had limited opportunities at Yorkshire because of the fact we had bowlers like Bresnan, Hoggard, Kruis, and Goughy," Shahzad told Cricinfo's Switch Hit podcast. "It was difficult to cement a first-team place, so basically when the opportunity arose I had to take it, and if I didn't get three or four wickets in an innings, I was then dropped for a senior player."

But it was his selection for the England Performance Programme in South Africa this winter that provided Shahzad with his biggest chance yet to show what he can do. Given his opportunity, Shahzad charged in, claiming regular wickets in the tour matches, but more importantly, impressing against the senior squad when their paths crossed in the nets ahead of the first Test in Centurion, and during a middle practice in Pretoria. England's head coach, Andy Flower, particularly liked what he saw.

"We all thought he had good control of the ball, he looked like a good athlete, and he looks like a motivated individual," Flower told reporters in Johannesburg. "We don't know him very well, but he's going to get a chance, he's certainly in the mixer. He looks like an impressive young man, and how well he does will be determined by himself."

"It was the first time that a lot of the England coaches had seen me," said Shahzad. "I hadn't been involved in any sort of England set-up for four or five years, and I'd not played much domestic first-class cricket, so I wasn't really on the scene. But I wanted to see what kind of a step-up it was, how different it was, and what I needed to do to get to that level.

"I'd played domestically alongside the England players, and it feels good to know you can get them out and bowl well against them, and have them in trouble," he said. "But then to play against a full set of England players, out in the middle in a practice match, and to take wickets and bowl well at them, it makes you believe in yourself, it gives you confidence that you can step up to this level, and with this selection I've been given that opportunity to show what I can do."

In fact, Shahzad was so sure of the progress that he'd made during the EPP tour that his omission last week from the England Lions tour to Dubai in February led him to ring David Parsons, the ECB's performance director, to find out what he'd done wrong. He was told to sit tight, and not worry.

"Being selected for the Test squad wasn't a realistic goal for me because it was such a big step-up," said Shahzad. "But then I got a call from Geoff Miller on Friday afternoon saying, basically, that I was in both the Test and ODI parties. That was slightly shocking, and it took a while to take in."

But it's not just his bowling with which Shahzad hopes to catch the eye. Last season he scored his maiden first-class fifty, and with a top-score of 88, he is ambitious to improve on a promising batting average of 30.72. "I'm looking at this as an allround selection," he said. "It's early days, but I want to be selected in teams that I play for, whether international or domestic, as a bowler or a batter if needs be.

"Everyone asks me, am I Flintoff-esque? I'd love to fulfil that role of being dependable with the bat when needed, and being an aggressive strike bowler, who generates a decent amount of pace. I hope it's a consistent role, and not just for Bangladesh. I hope to put my name in the hat for future tours."

Shahzad's confidence has long been a key factor of his game, but he has endured several set-backs since being identified as his county's rising star at the age of 17. "I was the first British-born Asian at Yorkshire, the next big thing there," he said. "But that came down massively when I got a stress fracture that took a year to heal, and when I came back I had niggles - hamstring strains and side strains. I was physically a strong lad, and with the aggressive style I bowl, always running in fast, I needed to be a lot more athletic. It's taken me two years to get there.

"When I burst onto the scene, I was just out-and-out pace," he said. "I just wanted to bowl quick without much control, but over the last few years I've worked on my control. I went to Australia last year, and I came back thinking I wanted to work on my swing, because in English conditions it's the best way to get wickets. It now sounds a great package, but I like to think that I bowl at a good pace, hit the seam very regularly, and swing it both ways at will."

Bangladesh's flatter pitches will doubtless provide Shahzad with a new challenge, but since his call-up, he's been keenly observing the ongoing series against India, and believes that his style has what it takes to succeed in the conditions.

"The wickets out there have still got a decent amount of carry and pace, but then I'm there to develop my game and to learn," he said. "I think reverse swing will play a massive factor, so I'd like to learn the art. I know bits and bobs about it, but I'd like to perfect that. I have a lot to learn."