Leg-spinner Parkinson delighted to finally reap benefits of difficult tour

Matt Parkinson admits to grappling with some “dark moments” during a long winter on the sub-continental sidelines, but has emerged with a smile on his face and an England career on the up.

The 24-year-old was an everpresent on the winter tours of Sri Lanka and India, spending three months on the road in restrictive bio-secure conditions, but did not make a single competitive appearance.

The leg-spinner won praise from head coach Chris Silverwood for his hard work and positive attitude, but Parkinson has revealed he was not always able to keep his chin up.

What he did not know at the time was his endless stints in the nets, working on turning pitches against the country’s best batsmen, were helping the next phase of his career.

In the past two weeks, he has picked up five caps and six wickets across both white-ball formats and is set to go again in today’s T20 decider against Pakistan at his home ground of Old Trafford.

“It was a tough three months not playing,” he said, “there were some dark moments in rooms in India.

“Obviously, you’re grateful to be on an England tour and it’s done me wonders, but you want to play and be involved. I didn’t think ‘this is a waste’, but I got down very easily, but I realised when I got back home after about a month how much I’d improved.

“I’m grateful I went on that trip. I probably wasn’t when I came back, but I am now. If you’d asked me two weeks ago if I’d have played five internationals for England this summer and taken some wickets I’d have laughed at you.”