“If you’ve got any cigarettes he’ll talk to you for as long as you like,” one of the Essex coaches said when I asked where I could find him. But Kaneria was itching to chat about England’s chances in Pakistan and it was not long before we were transported to the dusty wickets of the sub-continent. He is back there today, in his home city of Karachi, preparing with the Pakistan squad. The warm-up matches have been given even more meaning now they are raising money for the earthquake fund, too.

If anyone is expecting England to be lauded in Pakistan and treated with the deference due to the conquerors of Australia, they should talk to Kaneria, the Pakistan leg spinner who took 32 wickets in seven championship matches for Essex this summer. He believes that England will come undone this winter as a result of his God-given gift.

Kaneria is only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan (Anil Dalpat, his cousin, was briefly wicketkeeper) and says his faith plays a big part in his life and cricket. “Leg spin is an art,” he said. “Not everybody has that art. Two or three people in the world can do what I do. Because of His help, His hand on me, I am going forward. That makes me down to earth and humble enough.”

Kaneria, 24, made his debut against England the last time they were in Pakistan five years ago. He had Marcus Trescothick stumped to claim his first Test wicket, but was unable to prevent England winning the series 1-0.

He came of age this March in India, taking 19 wickets against a batting line-up that pulverises all but the very best spinners, to help Pakistan to draw the three-match series 1-1. Now he sets his bar higher.

“In three Test matches (against England), my target is to take 25 wickets and I will do my best to win the games and series for Pakistan,” Kaneria said. But he sounded confident, not cocky. If he manages that, it will conjure memories of Abdul Qadir, who rescued leg spin from obscurity in the 1980s and took 30 wickets in three Tests against the touring England side of 1987. That was a performance largely forgotten in the shadow of the finger-wagging row between Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana, the umpire.

Andrew Strauss, the England opener, said recently that winning on the sub-continent would be a tougher challenge than beating Australia. Given Kaneria’s confidence, it did not sound like idle talking-up of this winter’s challenge.

Shane Warne is a tough act to follow but Kaneria, the young pretender, is relishing his chance. He is a great in the making. Kaneria is taller, more wiry and fluid than the staccato Warne. His leg break is quicker, bouncier, but has less in-drift and turn than Warne’s.

But Kaneria will have noted how many of Warne’s wickets came with the straight ball this summer rather than the googly, which Warne bowled sparingly. Kaneria feels he is more of a master of that weapon.

“I have a high action and he has a side-arm action so I get more bounce,” Kaneria said. “If he bowls a googly you can see it. Some of the top batsmen have said you cannot read mine. The Indian batsman said that to me, and Brian Lara said, ‘We can’t read your googly.’ ”

Kaneria has taken 132 wickets in 28 Tests. Warne had 125 at the same stage, Muttiah Muralitharan, of Sri Lanka, 107. Pakistan are likely to be less reluctant than Australia to play two leg spinners and Mushtaq Ahmed, the whirling dervish, has been recalled to the squad after two years’ absence.

“They (England) are coming all boosted up after winning the Ashes and are a very good side,” Kaneria said. “I have seen the (Ashes) Test matches and Warney and I don’t think they played him very well.

“I have made notes on what are their (England’s) weak sides, their strong sides and what are their favourite shots. The best thing was that, in this season, I did not bowl against any of the (England) Test team. I think it was good for me. They were busy in the Ashes so they did not watch me.”

He has certainly come more into focus now.

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