Tim Bresnan says he is raring to go as he prepares to make his England Test debut against the West Indies.
Yorkshire bowler cannot wait to make England Test debut
Tim Bresnan says he is raring to go as he prepares to make his England Test debut against the West Indies at Lord's on Wednesday.
The Yorkshireman could be forgiven for feeling apprehensive given his bowling was taken apart in his first taste of international cricket in the one-day series against Sri Lanka three years ago.
But he believes he is a better player now and he cannot wait for the first Test, which is being shown live on
Sky Sports 1 and
Sky Sports HD1 from 10am on Wednesday.
"The first time I was picked on potential rather than performance," Bresnan told the
Daily Telegraph.
Ready
"Last season was the first time I felt I was ready. I didn't get a shout, but my game's been going from strength to strength and I believe I'm ready now."
Bresnan conceded 169 runs in 25 overs against the Sri Lankans but believes he learnt from the experience.
"I was blown away but it was not just me they got the better of," he admitted. "Sanath Jayasuriya took everyone apart. I took a lot away from that series.
"I worked on bowling at left-handers and took confidence out of the fact that it was not just me."
Bresnan also cites the influence of Australian pace bowler Jason Gillespie - who played for Yorkshire in 2006 and 2007 - as helping him improve.
"Jason just spoke about how he went about playing Test cricket for Australia," he said.
Fantastic
"He was fantastic for that. He gave me so much advice, such as technical changes like going wider on the crease to left-handers - things I do naturally now.
"The improvements have been more mental though. If you start thinking like an international cricketer you are more likely to become one, and a successful one."
But Bresnan is not thinking ahead to the Ashes later in the summer, preferring simply to concentrate on the task in hand against the West Indies.
"I've been given an opportunity and I've got to take it, but I'm not thinking about Australia," he added.
