Saturday 11 October 2014 15:53, UK
Derbyshire paceman Mark Footitt hopes to impress England's hierarchy when he joins up with the Performance Programme squad later this month.
The left-armer was one of the best performers in the domestic game last season, taking a total of 106 wickets across all formats at an average of only 19.19.
That was enough to see Footitt selected for the EPP fast bowlers' camp in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where he will try to secure a place on the England Lions tour of the same country early next year.
"Something definitely clicked this year,” Footitt told the ECB's official website. “I just kept it simple and the wickets came. When I’ve got wickets they have been in quick bursts and I get that five or six quite quickly.
“They are never stretched over a long period of time. When I get on that roll it was hard to stop. That said there are other times when you are looking at line and length, bowling maidens to put pressure on the batters.
“I was especially proud this year that I did a bit of both and the rewards came.
“I’m really excited by the prospect of the England Performance Programme. I went to Loughborough for the fitness tests and screenings and it was an eye-opener with the way things are done compared to when I was with the Under-19s.
“There was work on mental side of the game, personal side of the game and what you want to do after cricket and what you want to get from the winter.
“I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in and learning and hopefully developing my game a little bit more."
Footitt also paid tribute to the impact Derbyshire elite performance director Graeme Welch had on his bowling.
“I’ve benefitted massively from Graeme coming in,” he added.
“He’s someone who has instilled confidence not just in me but the whole squad as well. He’s got us to go out there and play fearless cricket and keep everything simple – I think it’s worked well, especially in the second half of the season.
“Playing in Division One last season gave me an eye-opener how to bowl and I took that on board this season while keeping things simple. Having the confidence of a coach who tells you to go out there and express yourself and play with no fears is big as well.”
