Rafiq hoping to showcase his talents on the biggest stage

Azeem Rafiq had grown increasingly frustrated at having to watch Twenty20 finals day on the television.

Year after year the emerging spin bowler was forced to watch the drama unfold with neither he nor his Yorkshire team-mates able to have any bearing on the outcome.

So to reach finals day this summer was not only a feather in the cap for the 21-year-old but also significant cause for celebration.

Now, having enjoyed that experience, Rafiq is equally determined not to let his first step onto the Twenty20 world stage pass him or his team-mates by.

Yorkshire begin their Champions League campaign today against Sri Lankan side Uva Next in Johannesburg with the bowler, recently named in the England Performance Plan (EPP) squad, urging his team-mates to grab the opportunity with both hands.

“We’ve seen a few of the names we’re up against but in truth we’re not really fussed about the opponents, we’re just going out there to enjoy ourselves, have fun and play the cricket we know we can play,” said Rafiq.

“We haven’t worried about opponents all year so there’s no need to start worrying about them now.

“There’s no such thing as a ‘nothing to lose’ mentality as far as I’m concerned. We’re not out there to make the numbers up.

“We’re not out there to lose, we’re out there to play the cricket we know we can play and if we do that we can beat the sides put in front of us.

“Just to be out there, competing against some of the biggest names in cricket is just a great opportunity for lads on the fringes of international cricket and lads who are just making their way.

“I was desperate for us to go really far in the Twenty20 Cup this year because I used to hate watching Twenty20 finals day on television each year, so I was absolutely delighted when we actually got there and made a good fist of it.

“Now to have this chance as well is fantastic.”

Yorkshire defeated Sussex Sharks in the semi-final of Twenty20 finals day before succumbing to Hampshire in the final in Cardiff. Progress to the final of the domestic competition sealed their spot in the Champions League, but they start from scratch again in their quest to be the best in the world.

Martyn Moxon’s men need to top a qualifying group including today’s opponents Uva Next and Trinidad and Tobago, who they meet tomorrow, to progress to the group stage and prolong their stay in South Africa.

To that end Rafiq hopes the experience they gained from playing two massive games in one day in Cardiff back in August will stand them in good stead.

“The full crowd for a start is something that you take from finals day,” said the Barnsley-born spinner.

“It’s not just the cricket, it’s everything that goes with it.

“You’ve got to manage yourself right to get yourself right mentally because there’s a lot going on, there’s a lot of excitement, a lot of buzz, so you’ve just got to make sure you’re right on the money when your time comes.

“Twenty20 finals day was a great day, the first time for the club and hopefully the first of many.

“Hopefully we can take what we learned from that day into this experience.”

Rafiq bowled more balls than 

anyone but Moin Ashraf in domestic Twenty20 cricket in the summer just gone. He claimed 11 wickets from 276 balls in 12 matches at an average of 28.18.

His form in the shorter format, as well as a breakthrough year with bat and ball in first-class cricket, was one of the reasons why he earned a call-up to the EPP squad for the winter tour to India.

That he barged through the door in 2012 after knocking on it loudly in the preceeding years, owes much to the help he received from former Yorkshire and Englajnd spinner Jack Birkenshaw.

“Jack was outstanding,” said Rafiq.

“He’s a spin bowling coach you can speak to anytime. I’d ring him the morning of games and that helped massively because I knew there was someone I could speak to when I really needed that bit of advice.

“I’ve also been working on the mental side of the game over the last couple of years, just trying to relax and enjoy it as much as I can.

“If anything that would be the one thing that has made the biggest difference.”