Haseeb Hameed cleared of injury and excited by prospect of facing Cummins and co in Australia
England young gun eyes pace of Pat
Young England opener Haseeb Hameed has revealed he was watching the express pace of Pat Cummins particularly closely during Australia's Test series against India last month with an eye to this summer's Ashes.
Hameed made his Test debut in India last November, playing the first three of the five-match series before a badly broken finger ended his involvement.
The then 19-year-old made 82 in his second trip to the middle and a fighting 59no in the third Test, made all the more impressive for the fact he batted with a break in the little finger on his left hand, which coach Trevor Bayliss described as being "in two pieces".
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The injuries have continued for the right-hander, who was on Tuesday cleared of serious damage to his hand after retiring hurt in a county warm-up fixture for Lancashire on Sunday.
Hameed was replaced in the England side in the back-end of the India series by Durham's Keaton Jennings, who promptly made a hundred on debut.
The pair at this stage look likely to fight it out for the right to partner Alastair Cook in an upcoming home Test series against South Africa, and beyond that, potentially in an Ashes series Down Under.
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Speaking with the UK Telegraph, Hameed said he was excited by the prospect of facing Australia's much-vaunted pace attack on fast, bouncy pitches – something he's experience little of to date in his burgeoning career.
"It's exactly the sort of thing you want to play the game for," he said of taking on the Australians in their own backyard.
"It's a highly intimidating situation, and you shouldn't shy from that. You've got to relish it.
"The best players are the ones who find a way of getting into the battle."
Cummins, who returned to Australia's Test side after a five-and-a-half year absence when Mitchell Starc was ruled out for the series against India, immediately impressed with his express pace and consistent line and length.
The 23-year-old looms as a frightening prospect on home soil but first has to force his way into the Test team on a permanent basis, with the likes of Jackson Bird and James Pattinson also challenging for a place alongside established new-ball pair Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
"I was watching the recent India v Australia series, (and) some of the spells Pat Cummins was bowling, you can see it was a challenge even for some of the more experienced guys," Hameed added.
"I've just got to back my skills.
"You've got to wear them on the body at times.
That's part of the game – people get hit. But it's a case of finding a method."
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2017-18 International Fixtures:
Men's Ashes Series
First Test Gabba, November 23-27
Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night)
Third Test Perth TBC, December 14-18
Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30
Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test)
ODI Series v England
First ODI MCG, January 14
Second ODI Gabba, January 19
Third ODI SCG, January 21
Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26
Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28
Prime Minister's XI
PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2
T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series
First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3
Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7
Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10
Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14
Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16
Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18
Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21