Lancashire's Chris Schofield made two Test appearances last year

"That means we'll need seven or eight playing County cricket by then, which means we need to get boys bowling leg-spin in U14 and U15 cricket now."

The programme involves up to 140 boys attending trials each February/March.

This number is then whittled down, initially to forty, then by August to 20, from which a final two are selected for specialist coaching.

With sponsorship from the Brian Johnson Foundation, they get the chance - accompanied by a national coach who thus also benefits - to take part in an overseas tour.

"Which doesn't mean that those boys who fail even the initial phases are forgotten", says Jenner.

"Wrist spin bowling is a long apprenticeship so we want them to go and work on their technique with the possibility that they might be invited back the following year. So we're challenging them to do more, to increase their practice time."

Jenner believes that leg spinners are born, not made.

Handle with care

"The gift of leg spin is in the fingers and the wrist, it's not a trick. It's then a question of learning the technique, of honing it."

Crucial to this is educating schoolteachers, coaches and captains about their role.

"The key word is patience. It's a gradual process and we must expect that young spinners, learning their trade, will get hit. Equally, captains and coaches have to realise this is all part of getting wickets.

"It's a problem, because the coaches' job is to win matches, rather than develop cricketers, so if the team is victorious and the spinner doesn't bowl then the coach isn't going to mind.

Identifying young talent is an ECB priority

"However, I'd argue that coaching and captaincy are also about developing team spirit, which means involving all of your players.

"It all comes down to the view of spinners as blue collar workers, as mere partnership breakers or worse, as the guy who comes on to tie an end up while the quickies take a rest. Now that's insulting because leg-spin is absolutely not about bowling dot balls."

Jenner dismisses the notion that English conditions don't suit leg spin.

"Shane's always done very well over here, so has Abdul Qadir, while Ian Salisbury's an effective county bowler but couldn't defend himself at Test level.

"Once you find someone who can, you'll have a match winning option that you've lacked for many years.

"Believe me, the interest is out there amongst young boys, but when Shane first toured England in 1993 the TCCB, as it was then, had no programme to harness the interest in leg-spin that he created. This time the ECB have."