Samit Patel heads Down Under in a bid to get back into England set-up

Nottinghamshire's rounder all-rounder Samit Patel, who has been entirely snubbed by England this winter because of continued fitness issues, is part-financing a two-month stint at the Darren Lehmann cricket academy in Adelaide in an effort to force his way back into the England set-up. Patel's decision to turn to Lehmann, a batsman who eventually conquered his own lifestyle issues to become one of the most popular cricketers of the past 20 years, comes after the 25-year-old did not gain a place in England's array of performance squads, an uncompromising decision which tacitly rejected him as a player of international potential until he mends his ways. Patel's fatal weakness, however, is not quite identical to the man who aims to coach him back to better times. Lehmann's weight, before he became fit and powerful, was always put down to booze and cigs and an urge to socialise, while Patel has admitted that his weakness is more to do with chocolate and his mother's curries. Nottinghamshire's unstinting support has been expressed in the form of a new three-year contract, as well as a half-financing of the Adelaide trip, and is a timely show of faith for Patel, who was so shaken by his England rejection last summer that his form deserted him and he made barely 700 Championship runs. He made well-publicised promises last spring to get fit and change his ways – and failed to deliver. He was seen sneaking a pre-match McDonald's takeaway by the umpires during a Trent Bridge Championship match and he also tumbled off the back of a treadmill. Notts' fitness trainer left by the end of the season, although reportedly it was not connected. But Patel is a player of undoubted talent, one that England cannot afford to waste, and today his promises are to Notts. "I've made a significant change in my approach because I spent too much time obsessing about England when really I should be focused on doing well for Notts," he said. "I know that I didn't show enough last year but this is a line in the sand and I'll come back from Australia fitter and better prepared for the new season. "I've always wanted to play my cricket for Nottinghamshire and I want to remain loyal to the club and win trophies. I'm at the stage now where I need to play a senior role in the team and that means scoring runs consistently, taking regular wickets and making match-winning contributions. Patel, despite all the signals, was so hurt by his wholesale rejection this winter, six months after England dropped him from a one-day tour of the West Indies because he had not met minimum fitness standards, that he requested end-of-season discussions with England's managing director, Hugh Morris. He was told that his fitness levels remained below par and that he also had to improve his county form. Notts, runners-up in the Championship in the past two seasons, have been competitive enough to give him every incentive. His desire to play for England remains strong and his family were so proud of his England call-up that they followed him around India last autumn — a tour of budget hotels and eternal airport transits in Indore, Kanpur and the like – before the tour ended prematurely because of the terrorist attack on Mumbai. By the time it was called off, his parents were the only England followers to have arrived, intrepid as ever, for the next match in Guwahati. Notts' director of cricket, Mick Newell, responded warmly to Patel's Adelaide venture. "Lots has been said about Samit's fitness but his ability has never been in any doubt and he's a valued member of our squad," he said. "There is a lot of responsibility on his shoulders now that Graeme Swann is established in the England set-up and Samit can use that to demonstrate that he's on top of his game." Lehmann, a former Australia batsman who also achieved great popularity as Yorkshire captain, can certainly bring nous to Patel's game, not only as a batsman, but also introducing some survival qualities to his left-arm spin, attributes that were lacking when India took a fancy to him on the subcontinent a year ago. But his shows of support for other figures of substance have not always brought success. He once nominated Mark Cosgrove, a fellow South Australian, as a potential World Cup winner for Australia. The world is still waiting.