England’s Samit Patel seeks payback on Pakistan

Alastair Cook’s team began that process by hammering their hosts in the first ODI on Monday, and Patel is intent on more of the same over three more matches. He will have his next chance at the Zayed Stadium today, but mere back-to-back victories in Abu Dhabi will not satisfy the England all-rounder.

Patel contributed three wickets, and 17 runs from just 12 balls, as England cashed in on career-best performances from opening batsman Cook and fast bowler Steven Finn to go 1-0 up with a 130-run win.

Patel, however, was clearly as hurt by England’s 3-0 Test defeat here as any of those directly involved – and now he has his turn to do something about it, is determined to punish Pakistan for their impudence in so thoroughly outplaying the world No 1s.

“We’re looking to absolutely nail this series, to beat them 4-0, whitewash them – obviously a bit of payback for the Test series,” said the 27-year-old, also still smarting from his own experiences in England’s 5-0 ODI trouncing in India last October. “The boys are geared up for it; we know exactly what it’s going to take. It’s important to highlight the skill levels we need against their spinners. It would be a great achievement to beat them 4-0 in their own backyard. But that’s the aim. That would be fantastic. We’ve got to aim high.”

Patel described England’s first win of the year, in an international fixture, as a “statement” of their intent not just here but on the long road to the 2015 World Cup.

Patel has demonstrated, even in that whitewash in India four months ago, that he can be a major asset for England both with bat and ball. His adaptable left-arm spin can be especially effective in Asian conditions, and he knows how to find and clear the boundaries at number seven anywhere in the world. He is accustomed to batting higher, of course, for Nottinghamshire. But the ‘finisher’ role is one he unquestionably has the skills and nous for too.

“It actually does give you a bit of freedom,” he said. “There’s a no-fear attitude, and you just have to score the runs. Obviously that is expected of you, and there are risks you’re going to have to take.” After England’s succession of batting collapses to Pakistan’s spinners in a nightmarish Test series, there is an obvious extra incentive for Patel and others such as Ravi Bopara to stake a claim for a place on next month’s tour of Sri Lanka – by making runs here. Both did just that yesterday, Bopara with his seventh ODI half-century as he and Cook put on a crucial 100 stand for the third wicket. Patel, however, will not waste time dreaming about a Test debut just yet.

“At the moment I’m concentrating on the one-day series, trying to perform here. If it [a Test place] comes, it comes; if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

One perceived barrier to his elevation, or even continued ODI involvement, has been his struggle to achieve the fitness levels required by England’s management for international cricket. Patel was out of the reckoning for two and a half years at one stage, for that very reason, and more than once recently coach Andy Flower has made it clear there is still more work to be done. But when Patel has just contributed significantly to a rare England victory, his body mass hardly appears the most relevant issue. As for the man himself, he acknowledges the importance of training but stresses above all the need to hone his cricket-specific ability.

“You can’t underline the preparation work enough,” he said. “That’s key, when you learn and work on the skills that come into the game. That’s the most important thing. If you do produce it in the game, it shows what kind of skill levels you’ve got.”

Patel is sure to retain his place today in an unchanged, winning team.