Zafar Ansari focused on England Test debut against Bangladesh
Thursday 27 October 2016 18:43, UK
Zafar Ansari insists he is not thinking beyond the winter as he prepares to make his England Test debut.
The left-arm spinner will make his long-awaited England bow in the second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Friday, live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 5am.
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Ansari was due to make his England Test debut against Pakistan last summer, but dislocated his thumb on the day of his call-up while playing for Surrey.
Having missed the chance to feature on the tour of the UAE, the 24-year-old says he is relishing another opportunity to prove himself at the highest level.
But when asked whether he saw it as a chance to establish himself as an England regular, Ansari told Sky Sports News HQ: "I think as a professional cricketer, that's the aim, that's always the aim. At the same time, I have not thought beyond this winter.
"I think you first want to establish yourself and then think maybe longer term. My thoughts have been really focused on this Test match and this winter and then if more comes from that, then great."
Away from cricket, Ansari has just finished writing a 40,000-word dissertation for his Masters, having previously graduated from the University of Cambridge with a double-first in politics and sociology in 2015.
On the pitch, Ansari enjoyed a successful 2016 season in the County Championship, taking his total career scalps to 122 in 66 matches.
"Having missed out last year, I'm really excited and hopefully on a wicket that helps and in a team which is doing really well, I can do well" Ansari added.
"It's one of those things that having missed out last year, there was a sense, was it going to happen again? Was my time going to come? People kept saying 'your time will come'.
"But it has come round relatively quickly since then, it's really nice and I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity again."
