Bilal Eyes Test Berth
By Paul Bakel
April 18 2003
Nottinghamshire batsman Bilal Shafayat believes a Test call-up for England this summer is not out of the question.
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Nottinghamshire batsman Bilal Shafayat
believes a Test call-up for England this summer is not out of the
question. The 18-year-old impressed chairman of selectors David Graveney
as captain of the under-19 side during their winter tour of Australia. Though England coach Duncan Fletcher has made no comment, Shafayat
hopes a barrel load of runs early in the season may prompt a shock
international debut. "I'm feeling really good at the moment," he told Ananova. "If I can get
a few runs early on, maybe the England selectors will become interested. "If not, I really hope I can feature for the Academy next winter. It's what I am aiming for and I certainly want to get involved. However,
maybe it won't be needed. "I haven't heard anything from Duncan Fletcher, but David Graveney
wrote a very positive article about me, so I can only assume my name is
being mentioned." Shafayat believes the responsibility of being captain of the U19s has
helped his game. "The U19 tours are very competitive - they are up there with county
cricket. Most of those playing against us in Australia were first-class
cricketers. "As captain I saw things from a totally different angle. The results
weren't as good as we hoped for, but it was a great experience."
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