Sajid Mahmood has been rewarded for a fine first half of the domestic summer by earning a place in England's provisional 30-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy.

It is the first time that the 26-year-old speed demon has been named in any kind of national squad by coach Peter Moores.

And the former Bolton League star last played international cricket in the World Cup in the West Indies in April, 2007.

"It's been a long time," said Mahmood, who has been named alongside Lancashire colleagues James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff.

"I am excited, but I can't think about England just yet. I have got to keep making sure that I perform and take wickets for Lancashire."

Mahmood, who has eight Tests, 25 one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals to his name, will find out whether he will travel to Pakistan in September when the squad is reduced to the final 15 on August 11.

The ex-supermarket shelf stacker played for Astley Bridge and Egerton before graduating into Lancashire's first team in 2002 as a 20 year-old.

He kick-started this season with an encouraging Twenty20 Cup campaign, claiming 12 wickets from ten matches including a best of 3-12 from three overs in a win at Derbyshire.

He then took 5-76 in the first innings and 3-51 in the second innings of this week's County Championship win against Sussex at Hove.

It was only his fourth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, but his second against the county champions.

"I feel I have been bowling more consistently of late," he continued. "I have been trying to hit that spot every time I have bowled. It seems to be working for me of late."

Cricket manager Mike Watkinson said: "Saj is still perhaps in the emerging category.

"We all want him to bowl 90 plus miles per hour, but then in the next breath we want him to land it on a six pence and hit the same spot every time.

"On pitches like the one at Hove it is difficult to be aggressive and not leak runs. But I think he did a good job for us. At Old Trafford, with more pace and bounce, he can be more hostile. He is easier to set fields to then."

Mahmood will be back in county action on Tuesday night when Lancashire travel down to London to face Middlesex in the Twenty20 Cup quarter-final at the Oval.