The hardest part about being close to England wasn't the waiting.
It was knowing exactly how close you were.
Zayn Rahman found that out on a quiet Tuesday morning at Old Trafford, halfway through a light recovery session. He was jogging laps along the boundary when the analyst waved him over, tablet in hand, expression unreadable.
"ECB want some updated workload data," the analyst said. "Bowling, batting, recovery metrics. Usual stuff."
Usual stuff didn't come with urgency.
Zayn nodded, jogged off, and handed over his GPS vest. The system reacted instantly.
[External Monitoring Increased]
[England Interest Level: Active]
He didn't smile. He didn't tense up either. This was the stage where players ruined themselves by overthinking. Zayn had watched it happen often enough.
Later that day, Lancashire announced their squad for the upcoming Blast double-header and Championship fixture. Zayn's name was there, pencilled in as opener and part of the seam rotation again.
Workload be damned. He was trusted.
The Blast match at Trent Bridge was sold out. Nottinghamshire crowds always were when white-ball cricket came to town. Music thumped. Lights cut through the dusk. The atmosphere felt nothing like Chelmsford or Taunton.
This was entertainment cricket.
Zayn opened alongside Phil Salt. Two different energies. Salt explosive, instinctive. Zayn measured, surgical.
The first over disappeared under Salt's bat. Zayn took his time. Let the bowlers show their hand.
Second over, he stepped across his stumps and ramped deliberately over short fine leg. The timing was immaculate. The crowd gasped before erupting.
Not reckless. Calculated.
He followed it with a punch through cover, threading the ring perfectly. Twelve off the over, without looking hurried.
The system adjusted.
[T20 Batting Mode: Controlled Aggression]
[Shot Selection Efficiency: High]
Zayn fell for thirty-eight off twenty-six balls, caught on the boundary attempting to clear the longest side. Not ideal, but acceptable. Lancashire posted a strong total.
With the ball, the captain didn't hesitate.
"Take it," he said, handing Zayn the new white ball.
Opening the bowling in T20s was becoming normal now. That was new.
First delivery to Alex Hales: full, shaping in late.
Hales missed.
Second ball: same line.
Missed again.
Third: back of a length, climbing awkwardly.
Mistimed pull. Straight to deep square leg.
Out.
Zayn didn't celebrate. He walked back to his mark, face blank, heart steady.
[High-Profile Wicket Logged]
Lancashire won comfortably. Post-match interviews followed. Cameras lingered longer on Zayn now. The questions shifted subtly.
"Do you see yourself as a future all-format England player?"
Zayn chose his words carefully.
"I see myself as someone who wants to win," he said. "Formats are just pathways."
That clip made its way online quickly.
The Championship match that followed was against Kent at Canterbury. Flat pitch. Hot weather. A batter's graveyard disguised as paradise.
Zayn opened again.
He settled. Fifty came easily. Then seventy. Then ninety.
The crowd stirred when he reached three figures. A hundred in county cricket never got old, no matter how many you scored.
He raised his bat, expression unchanged, and carried on.
He was dismissed for one hundred and thirty-four, attempting to accelerate. Lancashire declared soon after.
With the ball, conditions offered little. No swing. No seam.
Zayn adapted. Shorter spells. More cutters. Patience again.
One wicket. But control.
The system approved.
[Adaptability Score: Elite]
That evening, back at the hotel, his phone buzzed.
Lauren Bell.
Saw the hundred. You make it look uncomplicated.
Zayn smiled faintly before replying.
It rarely feels that way.
She responded quickly.
That's how you know you're doing it right.
They didn't talk long. They never did. There was no rush, no expectation to fill silence. It was enough knowing the other existed in the same orbit.
The email arrived the next morning.
England.
Training group. Twenty-four players. Preparation camp ahead of international fixtures.
Zayn's name was there.
Still not a cap.
Still not a debut.
But no longer standby.
The system updated calmly.
[England Integration Phase: Initiated]
[Ashes Probability: Incremental Increase]
Zayn sat on the edge of the bed, email open, heart steady. He thought of the mornings at Old Trafford under grey skies. Of golden ducks and centuries. Of bowling to Bairstow under lights and Root-like leaves in Championship grind.
This wasn't the destination.
But it was the road.
He stood, packed his kit, and headed for training. There was work to be done.
Winning the Ashes wouldn't happen in Australia alone.
It started here.
End of Chapter 6
Author's Comment
Chapter 6 moves Zayn firmly into England's orbit without rushing the payoff. His three-format value is now recognised structurally, not just narratively. Progress remains incremental and earned.
📅 Updates: Daily cricket chapters
This story will continue with consistent daily updates focusing on realism, progression, and long-term ambition across all formats.