“Now, with God’s help, I can pay him back.”Newell believes Shafayat will encourage more talented Asians to venture to Trent Bridge, just as the England batsman Usman Afzaal did before him. “Usman showed that there is a living to be made from the game,” Newell said “It has helped our relationship with the Asian community. As well as Usman, Bilal and Samit we also have Nadeem Malik and Vikram Atri, who are both making good progress.”Shafayat’s concerns first are to lead England on a successful tour. As reserve wicketkeeper as well as principle batsman, it is no wonder he names Alec Stewart as one of the players he most admires (along with Nasser Hussain and Sachin Tendulkar), although he gives Jackman most credit for his captaincy skills.”When I was wicketkeeper for Cavaliers, Andrew was alongside me at slip and I learned a lot of the tactical side from him,” he said. “I captained quite a lot at club level and to lead the England side is both a privilege and a challenge.” A challenge, indeed, given that Australia’s Under-19s, like their senior counterparts, are world champions. Not that Shafayat sees his team going the same, sad way as Hussain’s.”We have a very good squad and we will be going with a very positive attitude.

There is no reason why we should not believe we can beat Australia, and I think we will.”. England and Sri Lanka sreturn to the scene of their crimes tomorrow. With both sides desperate for a win in the VB Series to earn the right to be marmalised by Australia in the finals, it is to be hoped that they do not perform a reconstruction. From England’s point of view that wish will also extend to the result. In one of the most beautiful sporting arenas on the planet, surrounded by parkland and a tranquil river, and overlooked by a handsome cathedral, both sides committed grave misdeeds that besmirched the game.

It was like watching all those murders being committed amid the dreaming spires of Oxford in Inspector Morse.”It was the least enjoyable game I’ve played in,” said Alec Stewart, who was England’s captain that day and is one of four players still in the squad. “There were a few incidents that you don’t want to see on a cricket field ever. The fact that we got 300 and lost topped it off.” The tie, which had been given a big build-up, was thrown into turmoil in the 18th over when Sri Lanka’s magical spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, was no-balled for throwing. It had been widely predicted that the umpire, Ross Emerson, would make the call but it was stunning when he actually did so.Nothing that happens here at the Oval tomorrow is likely to match the events of January 1999. For a start, the notoriously contrary Australian umpires have declared peace on Murali’s bowling action, so there was no prospect of a similarly dramatic catalyst and Murali will miss the match anyway after pulling up with a hamstring strain in Brisbane yesterday. His absence will dramatically alter his team’s mindset and approach and diminish their chances.But the match is still likely to be fraught with anxiety.