YORKSHIRE ace Ajmal Shahzad believes his get-fit formula is the secret behind his England call-up for the Pakistan Test series.
The 24-year-old from Huddersfield has leapt into contention in the last year with his fiery pace and reverse-swing in the White Rose ranks earning him England recognition.
After one Test cap and four one-day internationals Shahzad now has every ch
ance of earning a trip to Australia this winter.
And after shaking off a hamstring niggle to get the nod for this week's Test squad to face Pakistan Shahzad was quick to credit his time in the gym for his selection.
"You have got to be in top shape to bowl fast and key to doing well is to keep working hard on my game, my fitness, and stay injury free," said Shahzad.
"When I first got into the Yorkshire side I was bowling a good pace, but I was quite a bulky lad and that was one of the reasons I picked up injuries.
"But I've lost weight by eating properly; I've done a lot of work on my strength, my musculature, with the help of the Yorkshire fitness and conditioning coach, the physios there, and the bowling coach, Steve Oldham.
"It also helped that the selectors got me involved with the performance programme in South Africa at the end of last year. Once I saw that door open I thought, 'right, now is definitely the time to put the foot down and try to impress'.
"One of the best things was to go to Bangladesh in the spring and practise day in and day out. My long-term goal is to play for England and get up there with the likes of Stuart Broad and James Anderson."
