Jake Lintott is hoping to earn a spot in England 's T20 World Cup squad with another strong showing in The Hundred for defending champions Southern Brave.
Lintott was the Brave's wildcard pick last year and ended the tournament as their leading wicket taker. Having been dubbed "the Jamie Vardy of cricket" by his Birmingham Bears captain Carlos Brathwaite, Lintott has enjoyed a similar rise to the top.
The left-arm wristspinner did not sign his first full-time professional contract until he was 27 and balanced a job as head of cricket at Queen's College Taunton with brief stints at several counties.
Lintott made a few appearances for Gloucestershire and Hampshire in the 2017 and 2018 editions of the T20 Blast, but did not break through until Birmingham gave him a chance in 2020. That year, he picked up ten wickets at an average of 18.90 and signed a three-year contract with the club in 2021.
He then enjoyed another impressive Blast campaign as he took 15 wickets at 20.26 and earned himself a gig with the Brave, as well as opportunities in Bangladesh with Fortune Barishal and the Caribbean with Barbados Royals.
This year, Lintott took 22 wickets at 20.90 in the Blast and was rewarded with an England Lions call-up last month, where he faced South Africa in two 50-over warm-up matches. And the 29-year-old is now hoping he can be part of England's T20 World Cup squad as there is 'a gap for a back-up spinner'.
In a column for ESPNcricinfo, Lintott said: "Playing for the Lions against South Africa was a great opportunity for me. I loved it, and I really enjoyed how relaxed the environment was. It gave me a taste of the next level and I definitely want to keep improving so I can get myself in the frame again moving forwards.
"It's my ambition to play for England. I want to do that, and it's something I think I can do. I have a nice point of difference as a left-arm wristspinner.
"It's in the back of my mind but at the same time, it's about me putting in performances in the Hundred and the rest will take care of itself. There potentially is a gap in the T20 squad for a back-up spinner but I just need to focus on taking as many wickets as possible."
