IT TOOK me less than five minutes to pass the British Citizenship Test - but I am still not qualified to play for England.

For the record, I answered 23 of the 24 multiple questions correctly on Monday and am now hoping to be available for England sometime in the next month.

There was no way I could be included in the squad for the first Test against the West Indies without being a British citizen so it was premature, but also flattering, to be mentioned as a contender for a place behind the stumps at Lord's today.

Passing the test just means that I am now ready for the next stage of my application.

If I am ever selected for England, it will be a bonus but I intend to be available as soon as possible by doing what I can to expedite the process.

The next step for me is more form-filling but the England and Wales Cricket Board and Hampshire Cricket are both able to confirm my situation, so it just depends on how accommodating the Home Office can be.

Otherwise, nothing has changed in that I have to perform at my best for Hampshire and continue to strive for the standards I set myself.

Read Nic Pothas's exclusive column in today's Daily Echo.