Asa Tribe: Glamorgan and Jersey batter closer to England ambition after Lions call-up

Tribe is one of two Glamorgan players to be selected for the tour, alongside Ben Kellaway.

The Jerseyman found out about the news on Friday – although he said it took him a while to work out if the call from England Lions coach Andrew Flintoff was genuine after a series of missed calls between the two.

“I had to check, because I didn’t have the number saved, so I had to check that it was definitely Freddie, and that took a couple of goes before I recognised his voice.

“Then I was mightily stoked and really happy to get that phone call because I spoke to Ben Kellaway at lunchtime, and in the morning he found out so I found out a bit later on but very, very happy.

“My mum and dad were present with me when I made the phone call,” he added.

“He phoned me at 11 and I was on the field, so I didn’t see that I’d had a missed call until the end of play.

“Then I tried phoning him back, he didn’t pick up, he then phoned me back and I didn’t pick up – so it was the fourth call that we had between each other that he picked up and mum and dad were listening, I had it on in the speaker in the car, so they were very happy.”

Tribe had never played a game outside of Jersey until he left the island to study in Cardiff when he was 18.

While he was known as a talented player on his home island, he says he would have never believed that he would have got to where he is now when he first left home.

“If I was looking in the future and you told me this would be where I am, even if you told me that six months ago, I’d still be surprised,” he said.

“It was only sort of the last month where I heard, not concrete evidence, but people saying ‘you’ve got a pretty good chance’.

“I think everything has led up to this point and it’s not just been that in the here and now that’s got me here.

“It’s those periods of bad form where I’ve made a lot of learning, it’s been periods of good form that have got me noticed and all the journeys got me here.

“It’s not one clear point that’s made me the cricketer I am now, it’s hard work over that long period of time.”

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