Though England coach Duncan Fletcher has made no comment, Shafayat hopes a barrel load of runs early in the season may prompt a shock international debut.

"I'm feeling really good at the moment," he told Ananova. "If I can get a

few runs early on, maybe the England selectors will become interested.

"If not, I really hope I can feature for the Academy next winter. It's

what I am aiming for and I certainly want to get involved. However, maybe it won't be needed.

"I haven't heard anything from Duncan Fletcher, but David Graveney wrote a very positive article about me, so I can only assume my name is being mentioned."

Shafayat believes the responsibility of being captain of the U19s has helped his game.

"The U19 tours are very competitive - they are up there with county cricket. Most of those playing against us in Australia were first-class cricketers.

"As captain I saw things from a totally different angle. The results weren't

as good as we hoped for, but it was a great experience."