COVERED SPRING 2020

15 @TRENTBRIDGE HASEEB HAMEED Lauded for the old-fashioned virtue of patience during his brief but successful fling with the international stage in 2016, it’s a specialism Haseeb is happy with. He will not, however, be pigeon-holed. He has ambitions across all formats of the game. “There’s been a lot of talk about England’s Test Match batting over the past few years,” reflects Haseeb. “Losing Alastair Cook, who has been an incredible player, leaves a big hole to fill. “The reality of Test cricket is that you’re not going to score runs if you don’t occupy the crease. “If you ask Joe Root, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli or Kane Williamson if they want to sell their wicket dearly, they’ll say yes. But they’re not old-fashioned players. “One hundred percent I want to value my wicket and make it difficult for the opposition to get me out. You can’t score runs if you get out early. “But, at the same time, I don’t see myself as one-dimensional. I want to be able to expand. “Since I’ve been lucky enough to start work with the coaches here at Nottinghamshire, they see that in me as well. “The opportunity to develop that side of my game is really important to me. “The way the game is going, especially at my age, you don’t want to put limits on what you can do. “You want to keep trying to improve your game. It’s about understanding what your strengths are and staying on top of those, whilst also chipping away at things you can improve.