‘Age is just a number' – Denly ready to grab opportunity

The 32-year-old was originally only included in England’s Test squad but was drafted in ahead of schedule as a replacement for injured all-rounder Liam Dawson for the remainder of the ODI series.

The Kent batsman arrived in Kandy on Wednesday morning, hours before England took a 2-0 lead, and could feature in the fourth ODI on Saturday.

Having been out of the international limelight for eight years – the last of his 14 limited-overs caps came in February 2010 – Denly had a fantastic 2018 season for his county, scooping the Professional Cricketers’ Association Players’ Player of the Year award.

Denly is hoping to make the most of his opportunity on the grandest stage. “I know I'm 32 now, but for me that's just a number, I feel as ready as I ever have and I still think my best years are ahead of me,” he told talkSPORT.

“The thought never came into my mind (that it was over). If I wasn't selected it would have been a case of trying to get better and trying to improve on my performances. Hopefully there's lots more runs and wickets to come.”

“Watching the England team develop over the last few years, watching them rise to No.1 in the world you think it's going to be a tough gig to get involved (in the ODIs). It's my training session tomorrow so there's a chance there to try and make an impact, but the team is playing brilliant cricket and are on the back of two very good wins. It's up to me to stake a claim where I can.”