ENGLAND newcomer Ajmal Shahzad has already experienced the ups and downs of life as an international cricketer and is keen to prove he belongs at that level.

Yorkshire all-rounder Shahzad, selected by his country for the first time for the trips to the UAE and Bangladesh, was handed his debut in the second Twenty20 clash with Pakistan in Dubai last week.

It proved an eventful bow.

His first ball in an England shirt was heaved straight back over his head for four by Imran Nasir, but he bounced straight back to pick up two wickets in the same over.

It had the look of a fairytale beginning for Shahzad until he made a mess of a catch off the bowling of Stuart Broad and was then hit for 17 in the penultimate over, Abdul Razzaq taking his side to victory with two huge sixes. But the bubbly 24-yearold has not been affected by the experience and was quickly back in action in the 112-run win over a BCB XI in Fatullah on Tuesday.

He returned figures of one for 42 from his nine overs, a creditable return on the traditionally seamer-unfriendly pitches of Bangladesh.

Reflecting on his start with England, Shahzad said: “It’s a massive eye opener. I got my first game out of the way and the first few overs went well for me. When I got the two wickets I thought ‘This is a bit too easy, it’s going to get more difficult’.

“Then at the end, well Razzaq is one of the best hitters in the world and he smashed me miles.

“I just want to play my next game now so I can prove any doubters that I’m up for the step up and I’m ready for it.”

■ India Women retook the lead in their one-day series against England Women thanks to a seven-wicket victory yesterday.

England had levelled the five-match series at 1-1 with a three-run win in the previous encounter on Sunday.

But a poor total of 130 in their innings gave them little chance of building on that.