Kent spinner James Tredwell heads to India today looking to force his way into the Test side and to be competitive in the shorter form of the game.

The 30 year Kent captain was called up by the England management as cover to both Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar this week after the duo took nineteen of the twenty wickets to beat India by ten wickets in the second Test.

Tredwell will join up with his England team-mates in Kolkata on Saturday ahead of next week’s Test and he told KSN how he had an inkling he’d be called up:

“I found out a few days ago that I’d be going and I’ve had my ear to the ground as they have had me on standby.”

“I had a sniff that someone might get rested for the One Day games, so I was hoping that the call might come.”

“I’ll be going out there to do my best day after day and see where it takes me and hopefully good things will happen.”

Tredwell’s chances of starting a game in the Tests seems unlikely with England probably going to keep faith with Swann and Panesar, but the Kent spinner believes there is a chance the hosts may look to change the wickets to combat the threat of spin:

“Now they have been beaten on a spinning wicket, maybe they won’t produce too many more. I will see what games I’m going to be involved in when I get there as India may look to have wickets that suddenly suit the seamers more.”

“Last week I said I still have aspirations to play for England, so to still be in their thoughts and to still be in the set up is very pleasing.”

“I just need to get out there, get in the sunshine and be part of it.”

Tredwell will also compete for a place in the two Twenty 20 internationals shortly before Christmas with Samit Patel and Danny Briggs fighting it out for a place in the side.

Despite not having featured for England in T20 cricket before, Tredwell told KSN how he is hopeful he will get the nod from new coach Ashley Giles:

“Samit did really well in the Twenty20 World Cup, primarily with the bat, but also with the ball, whilst Danny has a good Twenty20 record to date domestically and he’s played for England already as well.”

“I haven’t played International Twenty20 yet myself, so I can’t take it for granted that I will get a game.”

“It tends to be a format that I’ve done well at and I have been lucky enough that I have been around since its’ inception, so because of that I have played a fair few games.”

“I’ve enjoyed playing Twenty 20 over the years, so hopefully I can take that onto the international stage.”

Meanwhile, Tredwell will fly back out to India in the New Year for the One Day international series, giving him just over a week back at home in Kent.

Being away from can be difficult for cricketers at that time of year, but Tredwell is hoping he will cope with it and told KSN how he will be keen to play more ODI’s after impressing earlier this year:

“Playing in those games in the summer against Australia and South Africa have given me a great deal of confidence. Hopefully I can take that form into the games after Christmas and perform well again in an England shirt.”

“I get Christmas at home and it will be nice to be back as our little lad is just getting to that age where it will be exciting for him.”

“It’s all part of the job and even though I have got a young family, that’s part of being a cricketer and what an opportunity I’ve got over these next few months.”

Tredwell has been in the Kent captaincy job for less than two weeks and has had a steep learning curve before his departure for India, but he admits it’s one he is enjoying:

“This week we have been getting into the nitty gritty of it. I have had a few chats with Jimmy (Adams) and that’s going well. It’s all about forging that relationship as we will be working quite a lot together.”

“I’ve still been trying to keep working on my own game, but have been looking towards next season already.”

“There’s a lot to the job that you don’t initially realise goes on, so it’s been a fact finding mission over the past couple of days and that will continue even whilst I’m away.”

The new Kent captain went on to explain how he has been trying to chat with the whole squad prior to his departure:

“I’ve touched base with all of the players, just to give them my two pennies worth and to hear what they’ve got to say.”

“Rob (Key) and I have got plans to sit down and talk, along with all the other senior players and those meetings will happen over the coming months to prepare us for the season ahead.”

With Kent going in a new direction with the captaincy, Tredwell is hoping he can get that little bit extra out of the side and be challenging on all three fronts come the end of next summer:

“I think we will go into the season with the attitude of trying to win all three competitions and see where it takes us.”

“Things will pan out one way or the other, but we will attack the season as best as we can and hopefully we will go one better in one, two or even all three competitions.”

Finally, Tredwell is one of a few Kent players yet to take to Twitter and he told KSN how it is unlikely he will be signing up any time soon:

“I will still clear of that, probably because I haven’t got enough banter!”