Bresnan out to make amends

Tim Bresnan prepares for some rough treatment from the Sri Lankans on his introduction to international cricket

Tim Bresnan is ready to banish his baptism of fire in international cricket with a successful second coming for England in this summer's World Twenty20.

Thrown into the England side for the ill-fated one-day series with Sri Lanka in summer 2006, the young Yorkshire all-rounder was one of several quicks who had their England careers put on hold by flashing Sri Lankan blades in a 5-0 home whitewash.

His only England appearance since was as a late injury call-up in last summer's one-dayer against Scotland.

Now 24, Bresnan is within reach of another stab, after being named in England's provisional 30-man squad for the World Twenty20, held in this country in June.

Bresnan has also been chosen as a late replacement for the injured Steven Finn in the MCC's traditional curtain-raiser against the LV= County Champions, Durham, which starts today.

"My game has moved on a lot since my debut," Bresnan told ecb.co.uk at Headingley Carnegie before being whisked away to Lord's.

"I don't think I was ready when I first played, but last season I definitely felt prepared to step up into international cricket.

"Experience is something that can't be bought, to figure out different situations and react appropriately to them.

"I feel more mature and able to cope with the pressure all-round - batting, bowling and fielding. Most of all, it’s consistency. I pretty much know where the ball's going now!"

This week's MCC game, followed by two championship games and two Friends Provident Trophy matches for Yorkshire, will probably decide if Bresnan makes the cut for the 15-man World Twenty20 squad.

"There's a long way to go yet," Bresnan warned. "I'll have to put in some good performances to get in the 15. Hopefully if I play well the selectors will look kindly upon me.

Bresnan's 77 wickets for Yorkshire in all forms of the game last season kept his name in the England selectors' thoughts

"It's a little bit of a shame that there's no Twenty20 cricket in the run-up to the tournament itself. I don't know how the selectors will pick it - I suppose they'll go on form and Friends Provident Trophy performances."

In four ODIs against Sri Lanka at Lord's, the Brit Oval, Old Trafford and Headingley Carnegie, Bresnan shipped 169 runs and claimed just two wickets.

Statistics can be misleading sometimes - but this was Sri Lanka batting mastery laid bare, as Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene filled their boots with six centuries between them.

Bresnan refuses to suggest he was hard done by: "That's international cricket for you. When you come up against top players you have to cope with those sorts of challenges."

Bresnan's form in 2008 was inspired, his 45 championship wickets for Yorkshire second only to Adil Rashid. And with 32 more scalps in the shorter forms of the game, the strong all-rounder from Pontefract would surely have merited consideration for England Lions' tour to New Zealand.

But Bresnan opted out of Lions selection in order to convalesce after a tough county season.

"It was actually my own decision," Bresnan explained. "I decided to take a break from the game.

"I needed to cool my jets a little bit and get a few niggles out of the system. I feel fresh and capable now."