FORMER Bolton cricketer Steve O’Shaughnessy has revealed he would love to join the ICC’s elite panel of umpires as he prepares for his first international assignment at Emirates Old Trafford tonight.

O’Shaughnessy played for Lancashire and Worcestershire in a nine-year county career through the 1980s, and has been a full-time umpire in county cricket since 2011.

He played all of his junior cricket for Little Lever, where he lived, before one full season of senior cricket in 1979 prior to signing professional terms with the Red Rose county the following year.

The 53-year-old ex-Harper Green pupil will be the fourth umpire for England’s Twenty20 international against New Zealand tonight.

And he hopes it is the start of an exciting period in his post-playing career.

“I would love to be on the elite panel of umpires,” said Essex-based O’Shaughnessy, who would then be able to stand in Test matches around the world.

"The next level I have to attain is an international level within our group at the ECB.

“I'm at the level below that, but being given games suggests I'm moving in the right direction. From that, I'll be able to do one-day internationals in the middle at home.

“I will also be able to do third umpires and one-day internationals away from home. From that international panel within the ECB, the ICC then recruit the top level elite umpires.

"I think time might be against me for that because there are others ahead of me, and it looks like the ICC are looking towards a more youth-orientated policy. But you never say never.

“It would be good fun for a couple of years.”

O’Shaughnessy is unsure whether a debut at Old Trafford has happened by accident or design.

He said: “The boss (ECB head of umpires, Chris Kelly), may have thought 'he's got to do one somewhere, so it may as well be at his home ground’. I don’t know whether it was deliberate, but it will be nice.

“I always enjoy going back to Old Trafford, even though it's changed beyond all recognition now.”

Twenty20, ironically, would have suited all-rounder O’Shaughnessy down to the ground as a player.

In 1983, he broke the record for fastest timed first-class hundred of 35 minutes whilst playing for Lancashire against Leicestershire, albeit in contrived circumstances as the visitors chased a declaration in an Old Trafford match.

And on his time in the Bolton League, he added: “I loved it, although I didn’t stay long in the league.

"It was a very tough league, the Bolton League, and I presume it still is – although I don't get to see much for obvious reasons.

“People like Brian Cole, Jeff Todd, Mike Hardcastle, they were good players. You can add Alan Lansdale and Peter Stafford to that list. They played it hard. When they got on the field, there was no quarter asked or given. It was a good school.”