Afzaal working hard at England recall

Usman Afzaal's move from Trent Bridge has seen him score runs aplenty, and believes this will earn him a Test call-up © Getty Images

Usman Afzaal, the Northamptonshire batsman, believes he has a shot at making a return to the England side following two strong county seasons.

Four years after his last Test appearance, Afzaal told BBC Sport that he had made sufficient improvements to his game that will merit his selection. "I had a good county season last year, again, and the England selectors have told me clearly what I need to do to get back into the team," he said. "It won't be long before I get back now."

Afzaal, 28, has scored 2,552 first-class runs since making the move from Nottinghamshire to Northamptonshire, and as one of a small number of British Asians playing county cricket, is seen as a role model for a whole community.

Earlier, after making a good impression in the middle of an England injury crisis, he was dropped following a difficult winter and criticism over his weight and attitude. "I was left [out] for little reasons. One was fitness and the others were [pause] the right reasons," he explained. "I went away from Nottinghamshire to Northamptonshire and worked hard with Kepler Wessells and made a fresh start. I worked damned hard and I'm glad the last two seasons for Northamptonshire have been good, not just on the field but off the field as well."

Commenting on the current crop of young English talent that are likely to be part of the England A side that tours the West Indies next month, Afzaal said that England are well set for the future. "It's an exciting time for English cricket because there's a lot of talented players in the team and a lot of talented players sitting outside," he said. "When England tour India it will be an exciting series because they will be more used to the climate and the pitches. Pakistan played well in their back garden but I think it will be a different series when Pakistan tour England."

However, with batsmen like Alistair Cook, the Essex opener, and Ed Joyce, Ireland's and Middlesex's highly-rated left-hander, likely to get a look-in ahead of him, Afzaal may have to get reconciled to a long wait.

For now, Afzaal will keep himself busy with his Cricketing Elite, a program for scouting players of all ages, races and levels around England. The next two months will see this programme running academy weekends around the country, followed by longer coaching courses. Afzaal will be joined by the likes of Mark Butcher, Mark Ramprakash, Owais Shah, Andrew Caddick and Alex Tudor in this course.

This year, the first course takes place on the weekend of January 7 at The Oval, the ground where Afzaal scored a half century against Australia during the 2001 Ashes series.