London, May 27 (UNI) Tom Hartley is England's forgotten man of 2024, the leading wicket-taker on the tour of India in the winter, he took nine wickets in the all-timer of a win in Hyderabad but has not featured since England returned home.
When Ben Stokes' side were playing their Tests in Pakistan in October, the left-arm spinner was listening to Test Match Special while working a shift at the family garden centre.
"I have found my plant knowledge has come on loads," he tells BBC Sport.
Hartley, 26, could make his England return this week in the one-day international series against
West Indies, which starts on Thursday at Edgbaston.
He has had a decent start to the season with Lancashire but has still been putting in the hours amid the perennials.
"It is a 5am or 5:30am wake-up, walk the dogs, water the plants and then set up jobs for the staff, supervise and help where I can," Hartley said.
"They clock off at 5pm and I get organised for the next day.
"It probably is too much and I feel myself getting tired at times.
"If my on-field wasn't going well I would have to change things but I am doing all right on the field
at the minute so it must be helping me."
The garden centre - Hartley's Nurseries to give it its proper name - is 10 miles or so outside of Liverpool and is a sixth-generation family business.
Hartley's father, Bill, won 4x400m gold at the European Championship in 1974 and later took on
the company. The plan remains that Tom will do the same one day.
"My dad helps me out a bit but you have got to learn on your feet," he said.
"It is a bit of trial and error. Some prefer a lot of sunlight, some prefer the shade.
"It settles me on the field knowing there is something for me there after cricket and it takes the pressure off a little bit.
"If you have a bad game or season it is not the end of the world."
Hartley holds no hard feelings over his England omissions since India.
After the series concluded in Dharamsala coach Brendon McCullum, the one to call him last week
to inform him of his recall, said "you would have taken that at the start of the winter".
Lancashire's Evertonian, who was originally picked because of his similarities to India's tall left-arm spinner Axar Patel and was smashed by Yashasvi Jaiswal in an opening nine-over spell which cost 63, is inclined to agree.
"It beat any of my expectations," he said.
"To say you have a Test five-for and debut it is something you can always fall back on."
On returning to the UK, Hartley had his appearances for Lancashire in the County Championship limited by the arrival of Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
This winter his appearances were limited by a broken hand - an injury picked up on England Lions' tour of Australia.
He turned out for his club side Ormskirk in the Liverpool and District league to keep his arm turning over at the start of the season, as he had done at the end of the 2024 campaign.
"I came away tired in the face from laughing so much," he said.
"It is nice to take a few wickets. Sometimes here [at Old Trafford] you can go weeks and weeks without four or five in the bag."
Time out of the side has also provided moments for reflection.
Under Stokes and McCullum, England are aggressive with the bat but also with the ball - where
the message is always to hunt wickets.
Hartley does not disagree with the mindset but is keen to remember his own strengths.
"Sometimes you look at why you are not being picked and the people who are being picked and
think 'if I do that maybe that will help me get back in'," he said.
"Personally I have to think 'that is not me'.
"I hate going for runs, especially in white-ball. If I can go at six an over or less I will naturally pick up one or two wickets."
Hartley's return also comes at an interesting time for him personally and for England's limited-overs cricket.
They have lost 10 of 11 white-ball matches this year and Harry Brook has been appointed captain after the dismal Champions Trophy exit.
In the weeks since, England's supremo Rob Key has flagged the importance of England improving their batting against and bowling of left-arm spin if they are to return to the summit of the white-ball game.
They have bowled the fewest overs of left-arm spin of all of the Full Member nations in ODI cricket since the start of 2022, and England's left-arm spinners - Hartley, Liam Dawson and Jacob Bethell - have taken just seven wickets.
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