Interview: Lancashire batsman Mal Loye

By Oliver Brett

For years, England's selectors seemed reluctant to select opening batsman Mal Loye for the one-day side.

I feel Mal's selection is long overdue because he's proved over time he's a quality player of international calibre David Capel Former county team-mate

In recent seasons, the decision to ignore his claims has seemed almost perverse.

While England have lurched from one calamity to another in limited overs internationals, with a host of limp batting performances along the way, Loye has been thrilling Lancashire fans at Old Trafford.

His ability to attack the new white ball with both orthodox and unorthodox shots is one that not many English batsmen possess.

And now, with Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen all unavailable, he has finally been called into the CB series squad at the age of 34.

It is a triumph of sorts for those who have championed Loye's claims since the mid-1990s.

They include David Capel, the former England all-rounder who played with Loye throughout that decade at Northants and is now the club's director of cricket.

"As a young man Mal was very talented, capable of playing shots off front and back foot all around the wicket," Capel told BBC Sport.

"He was good against pace, good against spin, just a good all-round player."

606: DEBATE It's time to select Mal Loye, especially given that match-winning 90 he scored for Auckland came at number four ET 606: Have your say

In 2003, Loye left for a more glamorous club, Lancashire. His form since has been superb, and the advent of Twenty20 has lent his game some extra invention.

"He has gained quite a lot of recognition for his style in one-day cricket because he goes for his shots, but he plays them in an orthodox manner," says Capel.

"He can do things that other people struggle to do, like sweep the fast bowlers off the front foot, so he does have a few tricks up his sleeve.

"But he relishes taking on top-class bowlers.

"If Shane Warne was playing at Northampton, or Glenn McGrath, he would always put on a bit of a special show against them and would like to take them on.

"I have seen him on more than one occasion get on top of them and win."

Loye completing a one-day century in his first season for Lancashire

In 2006, Loye hit two centuries and three fifties in the C&G Trophy and was comfortably the leading scorer in the 50-over-per-side game that mirrors the format of one-day internationals.

But as far back as 1998, having played for England under 19s and England A, he was tipped for the top - only the call never quite came.

"He's had some exceptionally good seasons," says Capel.

"He was very popular among Northants supporters. There were one or two seasons where his form wasn't so good but at Lancashire he has really matured.

"I feel his selection is long overdue because he's proved over time he's a quality player of international calibre.

"The only thing we haven't done is pick him to prove that.

"The World Cup comes around every four years. It would have been a good idea for him to play for three and a half years leading up to this tournament and he should have been the first choice batsman to open the batting with Trescothick.

"It's taken a lot of injuries for them to get round to picking him but funny things happen. Maybe we'll get a top-class batsman at the top of the order after all."