Life away from cricket helps Ansari prosper

"Cricket is not the end for me. My life isn't directed towards it. Cricket is a part of my life."

They are not, perhaps, the sort of statements you might expect to hear from an international player, yet if the England coaches are to get the very best from Zafar Ansari, they might do well to heed them.

Speaking after his selection for May's one-off one-day international against Ireland but before he was chosen in England's squad for next month's Test series against Pakistan, Ansari revealed himself as someone who is not so absorbed by the game that it has led to him being swallowed up by it and incapable of talking about anything else.

Indeed, the avoidance of such obsessions seems a guiding principle of his life. "Balance" and "options" are important words for him.

He is a man with a formidable range of accomplishments, none of which dominate his life. Having taken a double-first at Cambridge, he is currently writing a 40,000-word dissertation on the Deacons of Defence, a little known group involved in the Civil Rights struggle in America; he is a talented pianist but that is now a relaxation; his accepts "bookishness" as one of his characteristics but he does not spend his life away from the game in London's Senate House or University College libraries.

And he is a county and international cricketer who greatly enjoys the company of family and friends with no particular interest in the game. Why, one wonders, did he choose this profession at all?

It was a luxury that I had in terms of cricket being a summer sport that I wouldn't have had if I had been playing rugby or football. And getting a good degree was more important to me than whether or not I became a professional cricketer

"From a relatively early age it was something that people thought that I'd do and I think you fall into things a little bit," he began disarmingly. "I got offered a summer contract when I left school and there's really no reason why you wouldn't take it.

"I was enjoying playing cricket and it snowballed from there. I was at university but still playing cricket to a relatively high standard. Part of it was through circumstance rather than a particular decision."

And he now plays for Surrey because the schedule allows him to wander down other avenues, although he knows that freedom will now be limited somewhat by his England selection.

"There are a lot of benefits to playing cricket," he said. "There's enjoyment to be had through playing yourself but also it gives you time and opportunity to do other things while earning a living. Cricket allows me to do things which I find interesting which aren't playing with a bat and a ball

"At times I find it a bit of a slog and tiring but a lot of the time you are testing yourself at something you find difficult and challenging and then testing yourself against other people who are skilled and seeing how you compare."

As might be expected, Ansari's three years at Cambridge tested him in other ways.

"I wanted to prove that I could cope and excel at Cambridge as well as being genuinely a professional cricketer," he said. "I wanted to show that I could do both.

"But cricket wasn't my priority while I was there. It was a luxury that I had in terms of cricket being a summer sport that I wouldn't have had if I had been playing rugby or football. And getting a good degree was more important to me than whether or not I became a professional cricketer.

"There is the expectation at Cambridge that everything you do is dedicated towards your academic work, which is on a pedestal. Getting back to cricket after you've been there is a challenge. My director of studies, David Runciman, was very interested in cricket but with some of my other tutors, if I said I have to go and play this game, there was a sort of scepticism about it and a questioning asking me why in a world-class academic institution I was playing a game that doesn't really matter."

Almost needless to say, Ansari's time-management and ability to organise himself is formidable, but so is his understanding of his own role within Surrey's team, specifically his responsibilities as a County Championship opener in an order filled with free-scoring batsmen.

"I've opened the innings on some tough wickets and I feel that I've contributed a lot to where we are as a side. The issue I have with individual statistics is that you can open the innings on a green wicket against a fine attack and actually have done a very good job.

"There is a feeling in English cricket that you have to score your runs at a certain rate for them to have an extra value. When I score runs, I score them pretty slowly not because I go out there to block it but because I have to be selective or otherwise I'll get out. There is value in that for the team. We know what each of us is good at. When you have people like Jason Roy, Kumar Sangakkara or Steve Davies to come in, there is value in taking the shine off the new ball."

Ansari's talents have so far earned him 771 runs and 44 wickets in the 2015 County Championship. Surrey have won promotion and on Saturday they take on Gloucestershire in the final of the Royal London Cup. And now Ansari has to plan for an autumn with England. As ever, he keeps things in perspective.

"You look around the country and there are players that I would put ahead of me who haven't been selected for England and I am very fortunate to get this opportunity. It is an event and it feels like it. Even though I have never been driven by playing for England , once it's happened you can always say that something's been lifted off your shoulders.

"Playing for England wasn't on my radar going into this season and I'm now looking forward to what the next month and a half has to offer. As much as anything I'm there to learn and develop quickly."