Filed under: Cricket, England Cricket, ODIs, India Cricket
Samit Patel has finally looked long and hard at himself in the mirror and realised he needs to shed a few pounds for international cricket.Why it should have been an issue for him to find the motivation to change and to train with greater intensity is a mystery.
If he was as confident as he appears in his natural talent, being ignored by England team director Andy Flower for two years because of his lack of fitness and conditioning seems a dreadful waste.
The 26-year-old has cut out the fast food and put in the hours on the training ground to win himself a place for the five-match ODI series against India.
Now he has kept his part of the bargain, it is time for Flower to keep his and intigrate the Nottinghamshire all-rounder into a side, in conditions where he can flourish.
For so long England have bemoaned their lack of a genuine second spin option when they travel to the sub-continent and conditions which are crying out for quality spinners.
Graeme Swann is truly world class, but beyond that England have relied on batsmen who can turn their arm over with medium pace cutters to for their other option to take pace off the ball.
Patel is a genuine spinner and his left arm variety gives England a new edge. What is more important, is that with the bat, Patel can produce match-winning innings and has served his time in international cricket.
That is why it would send the wrong message to Patel and others on the county circuit if Scott Borthwick is elevated ahead of his team mate when the first game starts on October 14.
Patel finally feels he has done enough to belong at this level. He is reaping the rewards for his hard work.
He does not require praise for that, not something that should be an accepted part of a professional sportsman's life, but he deserves the extended chance which was intimated was waiting for him if he sorts his fitness out.
Patel has always been confident he would be back and said: "If I did the right stuff I was very confident of getting back and I had good vibes from the management," he said.
"I knew my cricket wasn't the issue, it was the other stuff. I hope I've overcome that now. I have not done it fully yet, it doesn't change overnight, there is a long way to go."
Hard work and results over the next month could clinch Patel's place in the ODI squad for some time to come. He knows it is in his own hands, Flower permitting.
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