England's James Taylor confident of tackling threat posed by Yasir Shah

Taylor wants to cement his place in the England Test side

James Taylor is confident that he can tackle the spin threat posed by the likes of Yasir Shah and also praised the presence of Mahela Jayawardene in England’s coaching set-up, ESPNCricinfo reports. The 25-year-old, however, acknowledged that England’s upcoming series against Pakistan will be a challenging one.

Taylor earned a call-up to the Test side for the first time since 2012 thanks to a string of impressive performances for the ODI side and understandably wants to grab the opportunity with both hands.

"I'm delighted to be back in. It's been a long few years. But I've worked really hard, and I'm definitely a better player than I was in 2012. It's going to be tough conditions, but it's a chance for me to stake a claim and try to get back in the side,” Taylor said.

The English batsman is aware that England’s 3-2 Ashes victory over Australia means he is not guaranteed of a spot in the playing eleven, but he is ready to fight for his chance.

“We have two opportunities in the warm-up games, so it's up to me to pull my finger out and score some runs,” he said.

England have already touched down in the UAE and Taylor revealed how his side have been preparing for the tough series ahead.

“We're giving it our best to get acclimatised as soon as possible," he said. "We've had a couple of tough training sessions. But the boys are loving it - we'd prefer to be out here in 40 degrees than in the cold in England. Also, you get to work on your tan, which is perfect."

Taylor praises Jayawardene & talks about Yasir Shah threat

Taylor confident of overcoming challenge posed by Yasir Shah

The England team management roped in former Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene as a consultant for the series against Pakistan. The visitors suffered an embarrassing 3-0 whitewash the last time the two sides met in 2012 at the same venue with Saeed Ajmal doing much of the damage.

Taylor acknowledged that Jayawardene’s presence has lifted the spirits in the England camp with his expertise of playing in the subcontinent pitches.

"He's been outstanding," Taylor said. "He's very approachable. I'm fortunate enough to have played against him as well, so he knows me a little bit. That helps that relationship, he knows how I play. His experience is invaluable. It's brilliant to have him around - especially a guy who is a similar stature to me, that helps me personally as well playing spin. All the lads have spent plenty of time working on their game with him."

Ajmal’s ineffective displays since having his action remodelled has seen the 37-year-old being left out this time around but Taylor is wary of the threat posed by Pakistan’s new spin threat Yasir Shah.

"I saw him in the World Cup briefly, but I haven't seen him so much in red-ball cricket," Taylor said of Shah. “I know he's obviously performed really well recently. It's another challenge we're all looking forward to."

It’s a challenge that Taylor is confident he will pass with flying colours.

"I love playing spin. It's something I really enjoy," Taylor said. "Obviously, there's potentially going to be quite a lot of spin bowled out here. So I hope I do what I have previously.”