Mahmood aims for Ashes spot

Sajid Mahmood will begin his quest for an Ashes call-up against Durham at Lord's

Sajid Mahmood is pinpointing a place in England’s Ashes plans after being named in the 25-man performance squad today.

Lancashire paceman Mahmood, 27, has been on the international sidelines for two years but begins his bid for recognition once more by fronting MCC’s pace attack for the first-class season curtain raiser against Durham, which begins at Lord’s tomorrow.

And Mahmood is determined he can force his way into England’s Test squad for the Ashes series with strong performances for his county.

“It is good to be picked in these sort of games,” said Mahmood. “There are always a few selectors hanging around and to play against the county champions in front of them is the chance to put myself in good stead for any sort of call-up.

“All I need to do now is have a really good start with Lancashire.

“I need to take a lot of wickets, and I don’t think that I am too far away.

“My pace is there and the consistency is getting better all the time.

“I am a lot more streetwise and stronger both mentally and physically.

“When I was a bit younger it was literally ‘go out and bowl’, there was nothing else to it. I have matured a lot as a cricketer as a whole.

“The Ashes might just be around the corner but I am not too far away from it.

“I think everyone will see a slightly different me, someone who can hit an area consistently. I have been working pretty hard on it, and I will be pretty disappointed if I can’t do it this year.”

Mahmood last featured for England in the 2007 World Cup

Mahmood’s rapid rise came by virtue of former coach Duncan Fletcher’s belief in bowlers able to break the 90-mile-per-hour barrier.

But after showing the potential to be genuinely hostile only fleetingly on the big stage, during eight Tests and 25 one-day internationals, he returned to the county game immediately after the 2007 World Cup.

His last appearance, which coincided with England’s exit, saw him taken for 49 wicketless runs in just 4.2 overs.

But, having been plucked from league cricket in Bolton at 20, only four years earlier, he still had rough edges in those days.

And an injury-plagued 2008 summer, including a shin problem and a double hernia, at least gave Mahmood a chance to step out of the firing line and assess his bowling.

“When I first went in for England, I was a little bit young, I had not really played too much cricket,” he said. “To go and play in places like Australia, against some of the best players in the world, you learn a lot about your game.

“I learnt a lot from the Ashes tour: playing against the best team in the world at that time in their own backyard was brilliant for me.

“Subsequently, being left out and realising why I had been left out - mainly my consistency, as everyone knows - has made me go back and work really hard.”

There is a twist of irony in the fact that Peter Moores, who overlooked Mahmood during his England tenure, is now coach at Old Trafford.

Will Smith will lead Durham for the first time since he took over from Dale Benkenstein

But Mahmood said: “I knew why I was left out of the side, I have tried to put that right.

“He is a really good coach, and I have nothing against him because of that.

“He has a lot to bring to the table and has worked with some of the best players in the world.”

Durham will field one of Mahmood’s England Lions colleagues from this past winter in Liam Plunkett but another, Mark Davies, is out with an Achilles problem.

Ian Blackwell, who switched from Somerset in the close season, will make his debut for the north-east county, in a match which will contain two other notable firsts.

It is the first contest played under Lord’s new retractable floodlights and also marks the start of Will Smith’s reign as Durham captain.

Smith, 26, takes over from Dale Benkenstein at the helm and said: “Wherever I had played this game it would have been a big game for me.

“I feel very proud to be leading the side this season but the first match as captain of Durham being at Lord’s is extra special.

“If there is any place you would want to do it, this is the place and the nature of the game, with its prestige and tradition adds to the honour.”

England internationals Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison are unavailable, so it is a not a full-strength side which Durham will pit against an experienced representative XI.