‘Touching 90mph isn’t quick anymore’ – Mahmood says Archer, Wood have raised the bar for fast bowling

Mahmood, a pretty quick bowler himself, capable of hitting speeds of 145kph (90mph), said that with Archer and Mark Wood hitting fearsome speeds over the last 12 months, bowlers of his ilk may suddenly not be as menacing anymore.

"For someone like me who touches 90mph, you're looking at these guys and it's almost like that's not quick enough anymore," Mahmood told PA. "I think those two guys have really raised the bar in terms of pace.

"A few years ago… we were crying out for 90mph bowlers. Now we've got two bowlers who can get it up past 95mph. These guys make me hungrier to keep working hard and get quicker."

Co-incidentally, Mahmood was brought in for the Sri Lanka tour after Wood picked up an injury. And with Archer also still injured, and James Anderson having been rested for the tour, Mahmood is one of only four frontline pacemen in the squad.

However, he is wary of not losing himself in the bid to make an impression. "There is a fine margin, you have to be careful as a bowler and not search so hard for something that you lose what you've got," he said.

"At the moment I can bowl high 80s and also have skill and control. I wouldn't want to sacrifice anything in search of another three of four miles an hour but hopefully that will come naturally. I'm only 23 and as I grow older I should get stronger in my action."