TKR spinner confident about Aussie call-up

LEG SPINNER Fawad Ahmed is quietly optimistic that his efforts in the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League will get the attention of the Australian selectors, and he can play for his adopted country again.

Ahmed grabbed 3/28 in four overs to help the Trinbago Knight Riders to a nine-run win over Barbados Tridents at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair, on Friday night. He is now the leading wicket-taker in the tournament (before last night’s match between Jamaica Tallawahs and Guyana Amazon Warriors) with 15 wickets in nine matches at an impressive economy rate of 6.52.

Ahmed left Pakistan in 2010 and migrated to Australia as an asylum seeker. While living in Pakistan, Ahmed had been involved with a non-governmental organisation aimed at educating women as well as engaging in other philanthropic activities. But it their work to improve women’s rights that led to threats against him from extremists.

On being the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, Ahmed said, “It has been amazing, that is my job to come here and take wickets and contribute to the team.”

Ahmed said he is glad his performances are helping the mood in the TKR camp. “I am happy, as well as the coach, captain and the owners are happy as well...this is the first time I left Australia to play cricket in CPL or any other league. I am happy where I am going, hopefully I will finish strongly...As a team we are doing really well, everyone is performing from time to time so hopefully we will continue with the same performance.”

Defending champions TKR lead the standings with 14 points, and are guaranteed to finish in the top two in the preliminary stage.

The Pakistan-born spinner has played three One Day Internationals and two T20 Internationals for Australia, all in 2013. Ahmed, now 36 years old, said age is not a factor and he will embrace it if given the opportunity to play for Australia again.

“I am still hopeful. My physical fitness is pretty good and I am bowling really well. I am not expecting anything, if something comes up (then I’m happy),” Ahmed said.

Ahmed said there is a lot of 50-over and T20 cricket to be played in the near future and he feels he can make an impact. “I am really hopeful, because a lot of white ball (50-over and T20) cricket is coming up. (The) 50 overs World Cup is next year and then T20 World Cup 2020 is in Australia. We have a lot of cricket back home in Australia. I am going straight home (when CPL is finished), we have the Big Bash (League) so I need to continue the process and I need to perform well.”

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"TKR spinner confident about Aussie call-up"

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