The man who helped oversee the development of new England call-up Josh Hull believes “the sky’s the limit” for the Leicestershire seamer.
Hull was a surprise inclusion in England’s Test and white-ball squads having played just 10 first-class matches in Division Two.
The 20-year-old came through the Leicestershire academy, where he was spotted by the county’s head of talent pathway, Jigar Naik.
“He was an incredibly hard worker and thought about the game, which stood out really well,” Naik told BBC Radio Leicester’s Talking Foxes podcast.
“He thought about his bowling, he thought about getting videos and how he could get better, and I think it was quite rare for a boy of 16 or 17 to have that kind of thought process.
“He would speak to all the coaches, the bowling coach, the batting coach, everyone, as to how he could get better. His hunger to do that was a standout really, and still is.”
While Naik admits Hull is still an early work in progress, he believes the natural attributes he brought from day one, combined with a desire to improve, can take him far.
“It’s brilliant for the academy because it shows that jump from academy to international level can be done quickly,” he said.
“The sky’s the limit, he’s tall – 6ft 7in – he’s only 20, he bowls 85, 86 miles per hour regularly, and he swings it back into the right-hander, so the attributes are there.”
London [UK], : Former cricketer Courtney Winfield-Hill will join the England Women coaching set-up as an assistant coach for the upcoming tour to South Afric
Former cricketer and rugby league player Courtney Winfield-Hill has been named as an assistant coach for England Women’s tour of
Australian-born Courtney Winfield-Hill will join England's coaching team this winter for the tour of South Africa and Women's Ashes down under.Winfield-Hill pla
Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxingSign up to our free sport email for all the latest newsSign up