Saqlain quells England speculation

Saqlain Mushtaq, Pakistan's former offspinner, has dampened debate over any future involvement with England, saying he is "just excited to wear the cricket uniform again". Now 30, Saqlain is gearing up for his first season with Sussex, and his first full summer since his time at The Oval with Surrey, three years ago.

"Obviously I'd love to play international cricket, but that is in the second phase of my thoughts, the first phase is I must get back playing well and then we'll see," he told Sky Sports at Hove, for Sussex's pre-season warm-up match against Glamorgan.

"I really don't know, I haven't thought about it because I have been out of cricket for the last three years," he said. "If they ask then I'll think about it and discuss it with my family and with my friends as well."

Saqlain married his British wife nine years ago and now holds a British passport and, in theory, eligibility as a future Test player for England. After playing against India in 2004, he broke down with a chronic knee injury effectively ending his international career, one in which he took 208 Test wickets and 288 in one-dayers. He has since represented Surrey and, last year, Ireland.

In joining Sussex, the County Champions, he becomes the third Pakistani Test player at Hove: both Mushtaq Ahmed, whose remarkable form last summer earned him 102 wickets, and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, the fast bowler, have been instrumental in Sussex's recent success.

"I'll have moral support from my Pakistan colleagues, but the whole team and the whole club is behind me after I came back from my injury and it's a big help for me," Saqlain said. "They know how to win from the last two or three years and it's like a family - they all work hard together."