Zimbabwe's first Test captain David Houghton, who is related to 23-year-old Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance, has said that inclusion in the England squad for the winter Ashes will be absolutely huge for the young player.
According to the Guardian, the batsman left his home in Zimbabwe at 15 and proved he is ready for Test cricket, which was one of his teenage dreams.
Houghton said that if Ballance makes a good start to the tour and impresses in the early games, he could be playing in the first Test.
It was Ballance's contribution to Yorkshire's Twenty20 success last summer that seemed to accelerate his progress as he was selected for the England Lions for a one-day series in Australia earlier this year, the report said.