Worcestershire’s Joe Clarke setting his sights on England call-up

Clarke - who scored 920 runs at 43.80 in the County Championship last summer - has spoken of his desire to make the step up to full international cricket

^{Clarke scored 920 County Championship runs last summer}

Future England prospect Joe Clarke says he wants to be “knocking on the door” of the national team.

Clarke, who scored 920 runs at 43.80 and two hundreds in the County Championship last summer – only Pears skipper Daryl Mitchell (1,266) scored more for the county – has spoken of his desire to make the step up to full international cricket.

Clarke was selected as a member of an England XI at Perth against Cricket Australia XI in December. The Worcestershire batsman scored 45 in that match alongside the likes of Keaton Jennings, Mark Wood and Pears team-mate Moeen Ali.

Speaking on the Worcestershire CCC website, Clarke said: “To play with some of the [England] boys who were on that [Ashes] tour, to be selected in that game and be seen as one of the batters who they wanted to have a look at, and get a nice score, although it should have been more, was good for me.

“To show a glimpse of what I can do, spend some time at the crease in front of the England coaches, was the highlight of the trip for me personally I would say.

^{The exciting prospect has 2,867 first-class runs and nine hundreds to his name} 

“Did it whet the appetite for more? In terms of getting called up, you want it to be you. I know I’ve got to perform on this Lions tour and get some good scores and, on top of that, have a good start to the season for Worcestershire, put my name in the hat that way.

“With going up last year, Worcestershire finishing as champions, to have the opportunity with the Lions again, where there are competitive games, to come back and play Division One cricket, which is massive, makes me think this could be a real big opportunity with England.

“I want to be knocking on the door as best as I can. But it is all about performing. England is the end goal, and you work as hard as you can to achieve that, but it is all about getting scores and then seeing what happens.”

Clarke’s impressive form for the Lions and his county has seen him selected for the North-South series for the second year running, after being in the squad that lost 3-0 to the South last year.

“There is a bit of rivalry and it is an opportunity to get one back on those Southerners!

“It is a good competition, the standard is excellent, and some of the people who did well in those games last year went onto play for England. Again, with a few good games in that, you could be knocking on the door.”