LANCASHIRE coach Ashley Giles would like to see Haseeb Hameed given a bit more time before he is handed his England Test chance.

A stunning recent run of form in County Championship cricket for the Bolton opener has catapulted him into the limelight.

The 19-year-old has topped 50 in four successive innings, including two hundreds in last week’s Roses draw against Yorkshire.

He has now posted 1,000 Championship runs in his first full season and has smashed a series of records.

Hameed was Lancashire’s youngest player to reach that particular milestone aged 19 years and 212 days when he did it last Tuesday and the fifth youngest ever from any county.

Hameed was also Lancashire’s youngest of 17 to score two hundreds in a match and the first to do it against Yorkshire.

He was also the youngest ever to hit two hundreds in a first-class match played in England.

His form, coupled with a lack of runs for current Test opener Alex Hales, has led to many, including Michael Vaughan, to tip him for a tour place in Bangladesh and India this winter.

Hameed, himself, is confident he could handle the step up.

And, while Giles is too, believing he will play for England a long way inside his initial four-year tip, the Red Rose cricket director and head coach has urged a cautious approach with the ex-Bolton League star.

“The selectors know what they’re doing,” said Giles, who has compared Hameed’s approach to batting to that of Joe Root.

“But I think this winter might be a little bit early.

“It would be good to have him in the programme somehow because he deserves it. But just give him a bit more time.

“He’s going to have a very bright future, and we’re lucky to have him. We still have to be careful.

“You look at his competition and he has a chance, but the timing of introducing any young player is really important. Has is no different.

“Much of what it takes to play international cricket is about temperament, handling setbacks, professionalism, attitude, and Has has all of that stuff in bucketloads.

“The thing you don’t find about is the heightened pressure until you get in that cauldron where there’s 200 press men and full house and everyone’s writing about every mistake.

“You don’t know until you get in that position, but we’ve got some pretty good evidence already to say he would handle that stuff pretty well.”

Hameed will look to continue his excellent form when Lancashire travel to the Oval to take on Surrey today.

“I’m not saying hold him back forever,” added Giles.

“It’s just that timing is important. You can pull them back, but you don’t want to keep doing it and picking them, leaving them out and picking them again.

“You want to try and make sure they’re ready first time.

“He’s got the sort of look about him that is the Joe Root mentality, ability and approach to getting runs. He just loves it. At that age, Joe was similar.”