Tredwell glad to stand on African soil

James Tredwell chatted to ECBtv after being called-up for England

James Tredwell is delighted to have switched India for South Africa as he contemplates the possibility of making his senior England debut at Centurion tomorrow.

The Kent off-spinner discovered just three days ago that he was required by his country as cover for the injured Graeme Swann on their tour.

James Tredwell turns his arm over as the tourists prepared today for the second one-day international at a dank Centurion

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After only two net sessions - one inside and one out - between the downpours, he is in the frame to play against the Proteas in tomorrow’s second one-day international.

Yet it was only at the start of this week that Tredwell was contemplating a return visit to India - where he also played last winter.

The man himself takes up the story: “The Kent coach got a little bit of a sniff, a warning that I might be required.

“I was actually organising a trip to India for the start of December, so they had to tell me pretty sharpish so that I didn’t put my passport in for a visa. But we’ve got there in the end.”

Twenty-seven-year-old Tredwell gave every indication in the Supersport Park nets this morning that he is intent on cashing in on his opportunity.

Bowling in tandem with young leg-spinner Adil Rashid at captain Andrew Strauss among others, Tredwell took advantage of his stock delivery turning away from the left-hander.

Strauss noted before the washed-out first match at the Wanderers yesterday that an off-spinner might be a very viable option against several left-handed South Africans.

Tredwell gave him more food for thought today - but is not getting carried away just yet.

“That wicket was a bit damp, nice to bowl on,” he reported.

“But it’s coming out nicely - I’ve been doing a fair bit in the indoor school at Canterbury.”

Liam Plunkett, also called up in the last week, limbers up at SuperSport Park

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Former England A captain Tredwell’s only previous experience with a full international squad came in New Zealand last year - when he was part of the ODI party but did not get a game.

This time round, he returns with confidence from a county summer laden with 69 first-class wickets - in Division Two of the LV= County Championship - and impressive returns too in limited-overs cricket.

Early this afternoon, he had still not been told whether he is likely to play tomorrow.

In unseasonably cool and wet conditions, seam rather than spin may dominate - and should Tredwell get the nod, the most likely person to make way is Rashid, who was hit for 25 runs in a solitary over the last time he played on this ground, in a Twenty20 defeat last Sunday.

“I don’t know what route the selectors are going,” Tredwell confirmed. “But I was delighted with the season I had, and very confident coming out of that season.

“Then to get this call was obviously a pretty nice surprise.”

While Tredwell and Rashid perhaps vie for the final place in England’s XI, the hope is that Paul Collingwood will defy a niggling back injury to become his country’s most capped ODI player. Fast bowler James Anderson is also expected to be fit.

But Swann’s side problem stopped him taking any active part at nets today, and Stuart Broad is still a little way off returning after his shoulder injury.

Liam Plunkett, flown in as like-for-like cover for Broad, therefore comes into the reckoning in a seam attack led by Anderson and also possibly containing Graham Onions and Sajid Mahmood.

All-rounders Tim Bresnan and Luke Wright are the other seam-bowling options.