Lewis reveals Ashes ambition

Jon Lewis © Getty Images

England paceman Jon Lewis believes facing Australia this winter would be “bigger than playing in a World Cup final”.

But for now he is putting dreams of being selected for the Ashes on the back-burner.

The Gloucestershire paceman and skipper is again included in the England squad for the third Test against Pakistan at Headingley, starting on Friday, and has a realistic chance of winning a second Test cap.

His only other Test appearance to date was against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge in June.

Lewis has enjoyed being a part of the England training squad © Getty Images

Lewis admits playing against Australia in last summer’s Twenty20 international at The Rose Bowl and hitting the winning runs in the one-day international against Ricky Ponting’s side at Bristol are his career highlights.

He would dearly love to face Australia this winter but is concentrating on repeating the kind of performances which have kept him in the minds of the England selectors and improving his game.

Lewis, who will be 31 later this month, said: “If you get selected for an Ashes tour, it is going to be the pinnacle of your career.

“The games against Australia in the Twenty20 and then at Bristol were career highlights for me but if you play in an Ashes Test, it’s the biggest thing an England cricketer can do.

“It’s bigger than a World Cup final, to play in the Ashes and be part of a winning Ashes team. It is massive - but until it happens I’m not really considering it.

Playing against Australia in a Twenty20 is one of Lewis' highlights © Getty Images

“I know you might find that strange to believe but I am just enjoying cricket, loving what I am doing here with Gloucestershire and enjoying my time with the England camp.

“Even though I’ve played only one Test, I’ve been in all the squads. It is a good achievement for me and shows if you perform in county cricket you’ll get a chance to be in the England squad.

“Once you are in the squad, you’ve a chance of getting in the team.

“If I’m still in the squad for the last Test against Pakistan at The Oval, obviously there’s a fair chance I’ll be in the Ashes squad in the winter but I’ve just got to keep playing well.”

Lewis admitted: “I was not probably expecting at the start of the season to be in all the England squads because I was left out in the winter but I’ve performed really well.

“I’ve bowled better than I’ve ever bowled this year, more consistently and taken a lot more wickets and I feel in great shape.

“If you look around the country, there aren’t a great deal of people sticking their hand up (to get picked for England) so it is a matter of getting wickets and bowling well.

“There are things I need to work and improve on and as long as you keep trying to improve as a cricketer throughout your career, you have always got the chance to play at the highest level.”