Udal turns his hand to Test debut at 36
From Back Page an outstanding prospect. He said: ‘Obviously I’m thrilled. I heard yesterday there was a possibility and found out just before the announcement this morning.’ Trescothick captained the side when Vaughan twisted the same knee ahead of the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s last year, but doubts remain about his captaincy acumen. Flintoff’s leadership credentials are highly regarded by influential England figures and a clue that he is being considered as skipper came when he took the reins ahead of Ashley Giles after Trescothick left the field against Pakistan A on Tuesday. However, Flintoff has only previously captained England Under 19s. One certainty is that Shaun Udal will make his Test debut aged 36, 10 years after he took part in an England A tour of Pakistan and played in Multan. Udal will become the fourth oldest England Test debutant since the war and the oldest for 17 years since left-arm spinner John Childs made his bow against the West Indies. Udal was yesterday added to the England one-day party for the five-match series against Pakistan next month along with Kabir Ali, in place of the injured Simon Jones and Chris Tremlett. Udal said: ‘It has been a long wait but I feel ready to play Test cricket if I’m picked. I thought I was ready when I came here with England A but I wasn’t. I have had a couple of bad years but I came through it.’ Udal’s off-spin will compliment the slow leftarm spin of Ashley Giles on what is expected to be a flat wicket which will soon take turn. They will be pitted against formidable Pakistan leg-spinners Danish Kaneria and Mushtaq Ahmed. At least Udal has had a good teacher in Shane Warne at Hampshire, blossoming under his guidance to the point where he has added a ‘slider’ to his armoury.