Michael Carberry relaxed about Test chance

Michael Carberry has come a long, long way to reach the brink of recognition. Three counties, ten years and several fathoms of soul-searching have all helped to produce the cricketer who stands on the brink of a Test debut in Chittagong next week. Five years ago, he all but jacked in the trade, after failing to break into the first XI at Kent. Now, his challenge is to seize the opportunity that Andrew Strauss's absence has created at the top of the England order.

There's no guarantee, of course, that Carberry will be selected for the first Test against Bangladesh, which follows hot on the heels of the three-day warm-up that commences on Sunday. A spate of injuries to England's pace contingent has led to suggestions of a rejigged line-up, with Luke Wright a candidate to slot in at No. 7 as part of a safety-first five-man attack. But whatever transpires, Carberry's finally in the picture, and after a journeyman career that started out at Surrey, relocated to Kent, and then finally found fulfilment under Shane Warne at Hampshire, he knows there's no point in getting impatient.

"I've been working towards this for 10 years, so these are exciting times for me," he said. "I've learned in life that things happen for a reason. There's a reason I've had three clubs, and a reason why I've had to search around for my opportunities. It's a good thing that I've had that grounding in first-class cricket and had the chance to score prolific runs and be consistent over a couple of seasons. That will stand me in good stead going into the Test arena."

Carberry's career hit rock-bottom in the summer of 2005, where he was left to fester in the Kent 2nd XI, and had not played a first-class fixture for two years when he finally decided it was time to make the switch. Hampshire sounded him out, and though he was not an instant success, he nevertheless averaged 50 in his second full season, which was sufficient to earn him a Lions call-up ... and a trip to Bangladesh.

"I played two Tests and three ODIs, and I had a good trip," he recalled. "I learned the conditions and how to play a different sort of style out here, and I thoroughly enjoyed it because it was a good challenge. It all added to the education as a batsman - it's very much a patience game over here. They're quite slow, low wickets, so you're going to have to come up with good plans, bowling-wise, and when you bat, they will be in your face and quite bubbly."

Carberry's breakthrough summer, however, came in 2009, as he helped himself to 1251 runs at 69.50, a tally that was sufficient to keep him firmly in the selectors' thoughts, even though a broken finger brought an early end to his season. He was picked for the Performance Squad in South Africa, and could even have made his debut at Cape Town in January, after Paul Collingwood sustained a dislocated finger in the Boxing Day Test. Instead, his opportunity arose at the end of that trip, when the news of Strauss's sabbatical was finally made public.

"Andrew Strauss is a great player and you can't get away from that - 5,500 Test runs and 17 hundreds, those are pretty big shoes to fill," said Carberry. "However, his decision not to tour has given me my opportunity. Really, I'll just try to focus on my own game and not get caught up in the hype. There's enough pressure on me being under the spotlight in the Test arena without putting more pressure on myself trying to emulate Andrew Strauss. I'm grateful for the fact that England have backed my talent and have given me my opportunity. I'll just try to go out there and play my own game.

"Being in this set-up is about learning the art of playing Test cricket and becoming a great, because you don't just want to be a bit-part," he added. "It's been a rollercoaster winter for me, coming from the Performance Squad straight into the Test set-up, but I'm really looking forward to it. I'm here and I want to have a long career for England. I'll be doing everything I can behind the scenes to learn from the better players around me."

Carberry started that process of siphoning information from his betters when he linked up with Warne during his captaincy days at Hampshire. "Playing under Warne was a massive spur to getting me here and opening up my game," he said. "Going into a set-up at Hampshire where I was 100% backed made a big difference. As we all know, Shane Warne is one of the most attacking captains in cricket and that sort of spilled over to me and gave me licence to show my flair.

"He was always talking, because his main ethic as a person is to find a way to win a game of cricket," Carberry added. "You can be behind in the game or in front, but it's about trying to find different ways of scoring runs. I've played the bulk of my cricket in England growing up, but I've had three or four tours on the subcontinent, so I've been learning the conditions, styles of play, how to get runs, how to play the spinners on dusty tracks or low turners."

All of which ought to stand Carberry in good stead as he prepares for his first outing as a senior England player, against Bangladesh A on Sunday. "I basically see it as a chance to get back into competitive run-scoring," he said. "I haven't played a competitive game since November for the Performance Programme, so it's about getting back into the mindset of scoring runs, and spending time at the wicket. I don't know at this stage [whether I'll play in the Test], I'm just trying to focus on my own game and make sure I'm in the best condition I can be I should the call come."