Shah moving on up

Owais Shah insists he can adjust his game depending on the circumstances

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Owais Shah hopes his promotion to England’s number three in one-day cricket will lift him to even greater heights with the bat.

Middlesex batsman Shah will get the chance to stake a long-term claim to the first-drop batting position after being shifted up the order for the NatWest Series against South Africa at the behest of captain Kevin Pietersen.

Shah has had an impressive year, predominantly at number six, which prompted the revamp at the top of the order.

“Twelve months ago I was desperate to play for England, the numbers six and seven places were up for grabs and I was happy to make that my own,” Shah, 29, said.

“But number three is what I’ve done for Middlesex for eight or nine years and I know exactly what is required in that role.

“I feel I can do a good job at three given a reasonable run. It’s nice for the captain to back me to deliver a performance in a key position.”

Now his target is to replicate the kind of productivity Pietersen - England’s best batsman - has achieved.

“That’s something I could probably strive for,” Shah said. “A batsman like Kevin Pietersen is how I could challenge myself and say, ‘Right, that’s the standard.’

“If I do get a run and establish myself, then I’ll be setting the sort of standards that Kevin sets.

“And maybe one day I might be the best batter in the team. I don’t know - time will tell.

“I think most batsmen have the ambition to move up. The only reason for going up the order is to get the opportunity to score hundreds.

Shah is keen to add to the hundred he made against India last summer © Getty Images

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“I was lucky enough to get a hundred at six with the way the game went, but now (I am) really delighted to get the chance to bat at three.

“I’ve been told to go and play the way I play. If the ball isn’t doing much, I’ll play some shots.

“If it is moving a bit, I’ll sit in and get through the new ball, just do what is right for the team.”

England showed their hand against Graeme Smith’s South Africa last week when Shah was promoted to open for the Lions team which lost at Grace Road.

Shah’s previous spell at number three for England saw him dismissed for four and nought in the series loss to India in the spring of 2006, and he was axed at the end of that tour.

But he returned last July with success and has since been one of England’s most consistent players, making his maiden one-day international hundred against India 12 months ago.

So this step up is made with a greater confidence than his previous elevation.

“When you’re going at six, the ball tends to be old and is doing a bit less,” he added. “At three, you could be in second ball or the 10th over, and the ball is still doing a bit.

“You get more value for your shots if you pierce the field compared to batting at six, where you start slowly and pick up your scoring rate.

“I’m looking to play the same role as I have in the past for Middlesex, the only difference being a different shirt.”

England begin their one-day campaign, in which they will seek to avenge a 2-1 Test defeat to the South Africans, on Friday at Headingley Carnegie.