I don’t just want to be here, I want to make an impact – Saqib Mahmood

Saqib Mahmood wants to exert his influence in all three formats for England so admits being included in the Lions party rather than the main Ashes squad was “challenging” for him.

Mahmood is a regular in England’s limited-overs squads and, while he is yet to make his Test debut, he has been around the group on a number of occasions in the last two-and-a-half years.

A side injury he suffered towards the end of the county campaign last summer was a factor in being placed in the supplementary crew for the trip to Australia, which had little time to impress after unseasonable rain in Brisbane largely wiped out a couple of intra-squad games.

Mahmood reasoned being able to touch 90mph and his experience of bowling with the Kookaburra ball overseas would have meant he was an attractive option for an England side beaten 4-0, although he refused to dwell on the snub.

Asked to assess his winter, he said: “I found it very challenging being with the Lions, just because I’ve been around the England squad for the last two or three years.

“I had a side injury at the end of the season and was told my fitness – trying to potentially play five Tests – was one of the things which impacted my selection. I’ve obviously got my views on those, but that was one thing.

“I’ve toured a lot away from England with the red-ball stuff and experienced bowling with the Kookaburra and how to be effective. I think the Aussies showed they were just relentless and they made it challenging for our batters because of the pace they had.

“But it is what it is, that’s gone. There’s a lot of cricket to look forward to now.

“I think you go through phases in your career and you come into this environment and you’re happy to be here when you first get here. I feel