CUMBRIAN Paul Nixon is waiting to hear if he has a future as an England cricketer following our exit from the World Cup.

Wicketkeeper Nixon, who hails from Langwathby and whose parents live in the Penrith area, took England to the brink of a one-wicket victory over the West Indies in the final Super Eights match on Saturday, scoring 38 vital runs before being bowled.

But following coach Duncan Fletcher's resignation, Nixon, 36, is unsure if he will still figure in England's plans this season.

"Who knows whether they see me as a stop-gap or as a serious contender for the summer Test series," said Nixon, who played football, rugby and cricket at county level before leaving Ullswater High School to join the MCC Young Cricketers team at Lords.

With a new two-year contract with Leicestershire under his belt, he is philosophical about his future prospects: "As long as I can give match-winning performances for whoever I am playing for, then I will keep playing."

Nicknamed the Badger for being so talkative behind the stumps, Nixon says that side of his game was partly prompted by his experiences playing cricket in Australia as a youngster. "I have tried to play professional sport with a professional head and an amateur heart. You can get carried away and get put on pedestals. It's important to love and enjoy what you do. My Cumbrian background and farming background has ingrained that in me."

A Carlisle United fan, who attends as many matches as he can at Brunton Park, Nixon still has many friends playing club cricket in the Lakes.

He will be back in the county next month for a weekend of events at Keswick as part of his benefit year, including a Twenty 20 cricket match on Sunday, May 13, featuring former England rugby captain Martin Johnson and cast members from TV soap Emmerdale.

l Paul Nixon was interviewed at Royal Westmoreland, Barbados, where he was a guest of Milnthorpe-based businessman John Morphet.

He had been playing golf with his England team-mates and coaching staff, as Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff both own resort properties.

Royal Westmoreland, which is located on the west coast of Barbados, is a gated community of more than 150 luxury homes set in landscaped gardens around a championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Airline bmi flies direct from Manchester to Barbados three times a week. For details, visit www.flybmi.com or telephone 0870-60-70-222.