HANDS in his tracksuit bottom pockets, Nishit Shetty surveys the puddles dotted about the Accrington Cricket Club oval.

It's a scene he has travelled to England to escape for the past six years.

Yet since arriving in East Lancashire last month, there has been no escape, with each Sunday Lancashire League fixture being washed out.

Thursday night's training session is a complete non-starter.

Still, it could be worse.

"It's the off-season back home now because it just rains for four months," said Shetty.

Perhaps we should think ourselves lucky.

But Shetty, for one, will be hoping for brighter weather this weekend as he prepares to make his Worsley Cup bow tomorrow.

With renewed vigour pumping through Thorneyholme Road following the signing of experienced bowler David Ormerod and a positive start to the 2006 campaign spearheaded by their new professional's total of 366 runs from just three league innings the club is hoping for a good run in the competition this term.

Shetty admits it remains to be seen if they can go all the way in the cup. If they do, though, he hopes that they have better fortunes than his beloved Arsenal did in the Champions League final in midweek.

"I was a little bit disappointed the other night and I agree with everything Thierry Henry said after the game (about the referee)," said the Indian left-handed batsman, who watched the Gunners lose to Barcelona with some friends in a Preston pub.

"I had a wager with one of my friends back at home because he was supporting Barca, so he's been on the phone quite a lot."

But in terms of East Lancashire football, Shetty knows he has picked an exciting time to make Hyndburn his home for the summer with Accrington Stanley's return to the Football League.

"We played a game when they were at home and you could hear the noise from the ground, so I'm looking forward to perhaps going to a game while I'm here," he said.

Had Shetty's heart not belonged to cricket, he might even have forged a career in football for himself.

"I could have gone either way because I played football as well, but I chose cricket," he revealed.

"I was a striker, but the standard at home isn't as good as here. The focus is more on cricket and the competition is crazy at home.

"There were about 1,000 people playing in my area when I started who all wanted to play for Bombay (now Mumbai) and India.

"There are kids on the streets playing all the time. No-one plays just for the heck of it.

"Everyone who takes up cricket wants to make it. Everyone's aim is to play international cricket."

But while Shetty's dreams of representing India fell short due to a series of untimely injuries, he admits he feels blessed that he was good enough to be picked for his state.

"There are so many people who want to play cricket," he said.

"When I got into the first class squad I didn't think I had a chance of playing in that team because there were so many greats.

"We were led by Sanjay Manjrekar, so it was a big thing for me to get called up in 1995.

"I had three or four years in and out of the squad and didn't really get my chance until 2000.

"I had to be patient because there were so many good players that it was hard to break into it.

"But back home the system is quite good because if you reach a certain level companies adopt you and give you a job, so that means you can still play cricket but work as well."

That system is flexible enough to allow Shetty and his peers to concentrate on cricket and only work for their respective companies once they have retired from playing.

Shetty, for example, has a potential future in PR, with the power company whose books he is on, once he has hung up his spikes with Mumbai.

"They're not so strict on me working, but once I've finished with my cricket I'll probably be doing some sort of office work," he said.

But there are still ambitions the left-hander would like to achieve before he begins his nine-to-five job.

"I want to help Mumbai win the state championship next year," he said.

"We last did it in 2003. I don't think any of us got home until about 7am the next morning after the celebrations.

"So it would be good to win it again before I finish."

However, there is one target he fears has passed him by.

"I had an ambition to play for India. But I had a lot of injuries which took away two or three seasons from me," he said.

"I had a shoulder injury, which I had to inject myself, so that was a major problem. I had tennis elbow, which kept me out for quite a while too, and I got a hamstring injury the day before I made my debut for Mumbai.

"I regret still playing in that game now because I was really suffering.

"They were big years of my life when I got injured so playing for India is one of my ambitions that's gone.

"I don't think I will make it now because my age doesn't permit it."

But if Shetty, who celebrates his 34th birthday next Sunday, maintains his blistering early season form, then maybe he can cling on to his dream a little while longer.

In the meantime, perhaps focusing on re-writing Accrington's record books could be his latest mission.

Australian Bobby Simpson holds the record for the most runs by a professional in a season with 1444.

Shetty doesn't normally set himself personal targets, but his eyes light up at the prospect of topping that total.

If he fails to reach it this season, would he consider another chance to do it next term?

"They have already spoken to me about coming back next year but it is too soon to tell what will happen," he said.

"I told the chairman that I needed the shower sorting in the house I'm staying in.

"He said by the time I come back next year it would be fixed!"

He breaks out into an infectious laugh before adding: "It's been a great start for me at Accrington. It's my best start to a season of all the times I've played in England.

"I've not so much surprised myself, but I've really concentrated hard because I wanted to start well.

"They are a great bunch of lads so we'll see what happens."