Taylor ‘desperate to play all formats’ for England

Batsman James Taylor has targeted a Test return after being recalled to England’s squad for a testing ODI series against Sri Lanka later this year.

Taylor has not played international cricket since September 2013, but will likely feature in November and December’s seven-ODI series in Colombo and surrounds.

“I am desperate to play all formats of the game, so hopefully I can go on and use this as a stepping stone for Test cricket,” Taylor told Sky Sports.

“If you look down the whole squad there is a lot of guys with a lot of experience and there is a lot of exciting players with both bat and ball.

It is an exciting time for England with the World Cup around the corner. We have got a preparation period in Sri Lanka with seven ODIs before the World Cup.”

The talented Taylor earned two Test caps, against South Africa, in August 2012. While a highest score of 34 didn’t promise much then, a superb stretch of form at county level this season has returned him to the reckoning for the longest format of the international game.

“I am taking a little bit of a break now. It has been a long and hectic season. I’m looking forward to a rest. I have had a frustrating last few years trying to get into the England side. But I am delighted with the call-up.

“It has been another busy season for me, where I have scored runs in all formats. So I kind of did what I needed to do.”

Latest