Teenage Lancashire batsman Haseeb Hameed capped a memorable month by picking up the Young Player award at the 2016 Asian Cricket Awards.
Hameed, 19, was recently called up to the England Test squad for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh and is in line to become the youngest player to represent the country since Brian Close turned out against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1949.
“It’s great to be picked for England. It’s surreal, it moved really quickly,” Hameed said after picking up his award.
“I’d never have dreamed about being picked 12 months ago. Alastair Cook has been in touch to say congratulations, but I’m really looking forward to meeting and working with the team. I have to make sure I don’t change my game, and I have to make sure I do it my way.
“This is the second time I’ve won this award. I got confidence from winning last year and it’s a very nice feeling.
“I have to take everything in my stride and stay balanced. At this age it can only be about upbringing, so it’s a credit to my parents.
“With the recognition comes responsibility; I have to act as a role model, make sure I don’t change as a person and be my own man.”
England and Yorkshire leg spinner Adil Rashid was named Player of the Year at the awards, denying international team-mate Moeen Ali from making it a hat-trick of ACA wins. The Worcestershire all-rounder had picked up the prestigious award in 2014 and 2015.
A regular in England’s ODI team – helping the country to the final of the T20 World Cup in India earlier this year – Rashid made his Test debut last winter.
He's making a habit of this sort of thing... https://t.co/NN8MCUSglR
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 1, 2016
Elsewhere, former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara was honoured with a Special Recognition Award.
Sangakarra scored more than 28,000 Test runs during his long and successful career and is regarded as one of the sport’s greatest batsmen.
“It’s a great privilege and pleasure to be presented with this award,” he said. “The Asian community in England and at large have been wonderful icons and a great inspiration.”