You are in > manchester.com  > News > Mahmood keen on England return after year in wilderness

Cricket

Mahmood keen on England return after year in wilderness

15/04/2008

Fast bowler Sajid Mahmood has said he enjoyed being out of the England limelight recently but is still keen to return to the international fold.

The Lancashire paceman has not played under head coach Peter Moores after being dropped from the Test team after the ill-fated Ashes series in Australia in 2006/07.

He also made only a fleeting appearance for the one-day squad at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean last year and has since missed out on selection after suffering from indifferent form.

However, Mahmood has now spoken of his desire to play for England again, even though he believes he has benefited from being out of the intense glare of the media that comes with playing for your country.

"Playing international cricket, there are always eyes on you saying he's not doing this, he's not doing that," Mahmood said in an interview with the England and Wales Cricket Board's official website.

"To get out of that environment last year and play county cricket for a little bit, you can just go about doing your own thing, concentrate on the things you need to do.

"You tend to get forgotten a little bit but I don't think it's a bad thing sometimes."

Mahmood said he had been able to mould his action slightly while on domestic duty with Lancashire, and spending the off-season at home rather than on tour had allowed him to recharge his batteries in preparation for the 2008 season.

"You've got more time to work on different aspects of your game, and I think that helped me a lot," Mahmood said of his absence from the international setup.

"It's the first winter I've had here in five years, and to look back and reflect on things - think about what I need to do to get back into that side - has been pretty healthy for me.

"I don't want to look too far ahead but my main aim is to get back in [the team] as quick as I can. I'm pretty confident in my ability and I know I'll get back into that England side."