Dawid Malan hopes he has forced his way into England’s plans after his man-of-the-match display on debut in Sunday’s IT20 victory over South Africa in Cardiff.
Malan scored a blistering 78 off 44 balls, the highest ever score by an England player on his Twenty20 debut, as the Three Lions clinched the series 2-1.
The 29-year-old flew his parents over from South Africa to watch his performance – and now wants more opportunities to build on his dream debut.
“I like having my back against the wall and having a point to prove. I feel like every time I get an opportunity, I have a massive point to prove just because of my age,” Malan told ecb.co.uk.
“I’ve been overlooked for a couple of years but it is what it is. It’s tough to get into this England team, it’s a fantastic white ball team.
“I’ve got to be honest with myself and I know I only had an opportunity because guys have been rested, but hopefully I’ve done enough to be in and around this squad.”
Malan was presented with his first England cap by former Three Lions captain Nasser Hussain before the start of play in Cardiff.
For the Middlesex batsman, it was a moment he will never forget, made even more special by the fact that he subsequently starred with the bat in front of his parents.
Malan added: “My family are over the moon. I flew my parents over for this. They came over last time when I was in the squad and didn’t play, so they were getting a little bit agitated about whether I was going to play a game or not.
“It was fantastic to be able to do that, not only for England but in front of my parents as well.
“It’s a fantastic honour to play for your country. The feeling you get when you’re told you’re going to play and then having someone like Nasser, who contributed so much to English cricket, hand the cap over.
“The words about how much it meant to him, how much it means to play for England and the hard work you have to do to keep playing for England, it keeps things in perspective. It’s a moment I will never forget and hopefully I will get more opportunities.”