I spoke to Tim after a session at Loughborough where he is preparing for theEngland A tour to Bangladesh. I started by asking him how that was going and whether it was hard work or fun too.

It’s a bit of both, really, mostly hard work. It’s really good. All the fast bowlers are going to Chennai first to work with Dennis Lillee which will be good – get me some more experience and get me back to bowling outside on wickets off my full run in spikes, before we get out to Bangladesh . Obviously sub-continent pitches as well so it should be good experience before the tour. I’ve not met Dennis Lillee before, but I’ve heard he’s an interesting bloke so it should be a good experience.

How’s the back now?

Its fine, it’s in good shape. I bowled my first 5 over spell off my full run today and I’m in no pain and feel brilliant. I don’t know what caused the injury, it could have been over bowling or a mixture of things really, you can’t really put it down to anything. I’m told by the physios it’s pretty much the same injury as Adil Rashid had.

Adil’s down there with you isn’t he? How’s he doing?

Yeah, he’s doing really well

Did you think you were thrown into the Yorkshire set up too early or has that experience been vital to you?

My view on all that is if you’re good enough you should play. It doesn’t matter how old you are really. If you look at Adil last year he was only 17 and he burst on to the scene. If you are big enough, strong enough and good enough you should play. The experience that I’ve had is phenomenal. I’m twenty-one-years-old so I’m regarded as very young in the game still, but I’ve got five years first class experience.

I think as Yorkshire supporters we forget how young you are still.

The rest of the country is the same. Even the coaches with England say “you’re still only 21” because all of my experience has been converted not just on the field but off the field. I’m a much more mature player and my tactical awareness is beyond my years because I’ve played so much one day and first class cricket. It’s a big cliché but you can’t buy experience like that.

How did you see last season from a personal point of view and also from the teams?

Last season for me personally started really well. I had something like 26 wickets before I went into the one day series with England and then unfortunately I got injured not long after that – may be played one game too many when I came back. That’s how it goes really playing professional sport. From a team point of view we started quite well, faded towards the middle and it was when we started our push for survival we pulled together as a team and put in some good performances and managed to stay up. They didn’t want to rush me back so I played in the last game.

Do you find it easy watching from the sidelines?

I’m terrible. I hated it and just wanted to get back in there, especially when we went through a bit of a rough patch it was frustrating for me watching the boys and not being able to do anything about it. When you are playing you care so much about what’s going on and then when you are not playing you still care, but you feel helpless to do anything about it.

The winter’s been a bit up and down off the pitch. How do you see the mood going into the new season?

The way we all see it is that we have got a clean slate. You can bin last year and erase it from your memory and start afresh. When we all meet back up we’ve just got to get together and have a meeting about how we are going to go about things and then start afresh. We’ll have a new coach and captain and that’s good for the younger guys as everyone’s got a chance to play in that first game. We’re all going to be pushing each other as hard as we can to be on that team sheet. All the young guys are excited because they can push the more experienced guys for their places. Experience and being a class player still comes into account, but the younger guys think they’ve got a chance to play which is good.

And there are some good younger guys.

Yeah definitely – Richard Pyrah’s been around for a while and Joe Sayers (who played a lot last year) and Andrew Gale inparticular, can come into the team and do any job. They are young and enthusiastic (laughs) I speak as though they’re younger than me, but most of them are older. Going younger than that Adam Lyth and Greg Wood are really good players as well. There’s some quality and experience in the side, but they are going to have to work hard to keep their places.

What was it like to get the call up to play for England last summer? Us mere mortals can only dream of that happening – to walk into the team hotel for the first time and then to play – must have been a massive buzz for you?

Oh massive. When I did a few interviews straight after the call and I couldn’t put it into words - I was speechless. It was totally out of the blue, but it is every boys dream. Like you said you dreamt about it - walking out on to the pitch for England . It’s a massive buzz and gives you such a lift. Meeting the guys, I mean you’ve played against them in the age groups or whatever and seen them around. When you see them in the hotel it’s just like seeing them in a shopping centre or something, you just stop and have a chat. It’s when you are getting ready and getting your gear on and walking out on the pitch. When you are handed the England shirt with your name on the back, that’s when it really gets you.

It was obviously a huge thing for you but was it a difficult series to be involved in because England underperformed and Sri Lanka played really well. Was it hard to find your feet as a player amidst all of that?

Sri Lanka did play some really good cricket and as a whole we didn’t really play to our potential. I suppose I didn’t really play to my potential as an individual either. I don’t know, maybe I wasn’t ready or maybe the pressure got to me. It’s the most pressure you can be under in your career – bowling your first over against Sri Lanka when you’ve got such big names that you are bowling at that have performed against the best in the world. You can’t have any fear of failure, because you’ve failed straight away. If you are thinking I can’t drop it short and wide to this lad because he’s going to hit me for 6, that’s what’ll happen. You’ve got to clear your mind and bowl and that’s maybe what I didn’t do.

We’ve mentioned the invaluable experience you’ve had as a young lad for Yorkshire. The experience you’ve had with England can only serve you well when you get another chance.

Yeah definitely, just to go out there and have a taste of what it’s like is invaluable. It gives you such desire and drive to taste it again. Every county player wants to play for England.

How disappointed were you to miss out on selection to the 30-man squad for the World Cup?

Not disappointment, I mean I knew it was coming anyway. As soon as I’d had the fitness test I knew. In my case it was a fitness test regarding my back, not my overall aerobic fitness and conditioning, I’ve not played in any competitive games since the end of last season and I wasn’t bowling off six steps never mind a full run up back when the squad was announced so that’s just how it goes – I wasn’t ready. I’m a professional sportsman. You are expected to keep your fitness at a very high level and that’s all I really need to say. Even when I was injured I was still in the gym. There were some things I couldn’t do like run on a treadmill, but I could still run, swim and bike to keep myself in as good shape as I could, without bowling. It ground on me really that people though I’d had a big Christmas. When you are injured you don’t just sit there and feel sorry for yourself. If you let yourself go completely it’s going to take so much longer to get it back, so you do what you can do.

Are you an all-rounder or a bowler that bats? You won’t remember this but after a game once where you’d scored runs I said that people would be considering you as a batsman soon and you laughed and said ‘I am a batsman.’

I think I remember that and the answer was ‘everyone’s a batsman.’ Even number 11 – when you look on the scoreboard it says batsman number 11 – anyone’s capable of making runs. I’ve been pigeon-holed as a bowler that bats, but I’d like to see myself as an all-rounder.

Your batting’s improving though isn’t it and getting better every season. Last year against Hampshire you had a good knock. Is it just a case of adding a bit of consistency next year?

Yeah that’s the thing. To score 800 runs in 2007 is my goal. I had a goal of 500 last year and I probably would have made that if I’d not got injured. To get 800 runs requires some sort of consistency, you need to average low 30’s and that’s what I’m aiming for. I’ve been working hard and when I couldn’t bowl I was in the nets batting so that’s taken a massive leap forward.

In 2005 you and Deon Kruis bowled a massive number of overs after Chris Silverwood got injured. How did you feel after that?

Tired. It’s a difficult situation when a bowler goes down early. You’ve just got to muck in together and do your share really. Anyone would do the same for me if I got injured. When you are left with a few bowlers in the team you just have to share the overs out. Deon and I were bowling really well – we had a month spell where over 3 games we too all but 5 of the wickets or something like that. When you’re playing well you don’t mind bowling a lot, but with it being tiring you spend a long time on the phys bed.

Who do you enjoy batting with and bowling in tandem with?

Last season I really enjoyed batting with Darren Lehmann for obvious reasons. He’d come down and touch gloves and go ‘keep going mate’ (Aussie accent) and put so much confidence in you. If he saw something wrong about your game he’s say and he’d know where the bowlers were going to bowl to me which helps. I enjoy batting with Galey. I’ve played a lot of age group cricket with Andrew and Pyrah and Joe – its nice having a friendly face up the other end (laughs) not that everyone else isn’t friendly. I like batting with Chalky because of his experience and he really switches you on. As for bowling I don’t mind, you should enjoy bowling with anyone. You bowl in partnerships and if I bowl well one end I expect him to keep it tight at the other. That’s how you get wickets, you build pressure. It doesn’t matter who gets the wickets really as long as you get them.

Where do you see yourself in this seasons batting order?

(laughs) I’m not sure really I think me and Rashid are going to fight it out. Hopefully if I do get picked 6 or 7. I’d like to be number 6 in the future – the all-rounder’s spot.

You mention an 800 run target – have you got a wicket target too?

No not really. If you bowl well the wickets look after themselves. It’s not important who takes the wickets as long as you get them as a team. I might do a good job one end and the guy the other end gets the wickets. You bowl in partnerships and hunt in packs as bowlers.

A first hundred would be nice too wouldn’t it?

I’ve not set a date for that. Consistency is what I’m after next year but if I can get 800 runs I’m sure there’ll be one somewhere. I got really close last year. Hampshire was one of them and in the MCC game at Lord’s it was a bit silly. We were getting beaten and I was batting with number 11. I was on 70 when he came in and I thought if I don’t get on with it here and ended up slogging a few to get into the 90’s and then I took a risk too many to hit a 6 for my hundred. I’m sure I’ll get one this year – hopefully.

What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses as a cricketer?

I just want to work on my overall game. I tend to get out in stupid ways really so I guess concentration is my biggest weakness, the consistency thing again. I’m a bad starter too which is something I’ve been working on with Kevin Sharp and the England coaches.

Was Jason Gillespie a big help last year?

Yes he was. He’s a top man. It was his mental approach rather than how he bowled. It wasn’t anything technical. It was mainly tactical and mental which was what Dizzy helps you with. He’s such a relaxed character and you can have a chat whenever you want. We’ve stayed in contact when he’s been in Australia too which has been good. He rings me or texts me once a week to see how I’m going. He’s a good man, a real good man.

Finally who’s the most difficult batsman to get out and who’s the hardest bowler you’ve faced?

There are two bowlers, one spinner and a quick bowler. The spinner would be Mushtaq Ahmed – he’s been difficult for about 30 years I think. He’s just a class leg-spinner, getting 90 or 100 wickets years after year for Sussex, not just against one team but against everyone. Shoaib Akhtar because of his slingy action and you struggle to pick him up. In the same way Malinga’s tough too. I was reviewing a few videos the other day of my international debut and when I batted against him I don’t think I even saw one ball and then the camera focuses in on my face afterwards and I’ve got a really confused look on my face. Bowlers that have a nice action give you a good view of the ball before they bowl it are easier. For batsmen Ricky Ponting, Jayasuriya – just real off the top ten in the world. They get to be up there for a reason.

Are you still a Leeds United fan?

Yeah. I look out for their scores but I’ve not been down for a while. It’s like being injured and watching Yorkshire, it’s frustrating as you can’t do anything about it. I follow Sheffield United as well. We played a testimonial against them at cricket and football which was interesting and I got to know a few of the guys there.

And golf?

I’ve managed to get my handicap down to about 9 or 10.

That’s the end of the questions Tim. Anything else you want to say?

Just that I’m looking forward to winning some games for Yorkshire this year.

That’s not a bad way to finish.

Thanks to Tim for his time - any comments on the interview please enter them in the thread below.

Next weeks player in the spotlight is GERARD BROPHY - please submit your questions for Gerard HERE.