Monday 6 April 2015 13:10, UK
Fawad Ahmed has beaten World Cup-winning Glenn Maxwell, and Ashton Agar – who hit 98 on Test debut in the 2013 Ashes – for the second spinner spot in the Australia touring squad this summer.
Is he worth a place?
Australia aren’t blessed with spin options beyond Nathan Lyon and all three would have represented a punt of sorts. Ahmed is yet to make his Test debut, Maxwell is more a batsman and one-day specialist, and Agar at 21-years-old, is still inexperienced and largely ineffective as a wicket-taking spinner.
Ahmed’s recent form brings no such concerns. He took 48 wickets - 17 more than Agar - in helping Victoria to Sheffield Shield success this season, including a career-best 8-89 in the final against Western Australia.
But, wasn’t he born in Pakistan?
The 33-year-old leg-spinner played 10 first-class matches in Pakistan, before fleeing to Australia in 2010 as an asylum seeker, due to his involvement in a project that aimed to, among other things, educate women and resulted in death threats against him.
His initial claim for asylum was rejected but with support from Cricket Australia, Ahmed was granted permanent residency in 2012.
A devout Muslim, he has missed training sessions during Ramadan and is known to leave the field to pray during games. He has also requested that logos of sponsors whose activities he does not agree with be removed from his kit.
Who else has he played for?
As well as playing for Victoria, Ahmed plays in the Big Bash League for the Melbourne Renegades.
Across three years of the BBL though, he's only managed five wickets across nine games, but his first-class form for Victoria has been vastly more impressive, winning many admirers.
In 21 appearance for the state side, he has taken 85 wickets at an average of 28.07, including five five-wicket hauls.
So who rates him?
Former Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill compared his action to Indian great Anil Kumble and Damien Martyn declared him the best spinner in Australia since Shane Warne.
When announcing the squad for this year's Ashes, Australian selector Rod Marsh suggested that such lofty comparisons could have been a contributing factor in Ahmed being picked.
"Him being a leg-spinner as opposed to a finger spinner gave him a slight advantage," Marsh said. "Believe it or not, Australia is always looking for leg-spinners. We've had a proud history of leg-spinning in this country and we want that to continue.
"[Ahmed] doesn't bowl too much rubbish and he creates a lot of pressure. He has men around the bat in most instances and he keeps asking the batsmen questions, which is what good spinners do.
"He maintains good economy and asks questions of both left and right-handers, bearing in mind that England may have up to seven left-handers."
Haven’t England faced him before?
England might have had to face Ahmed sooner in 2013 had his Test debut not been put on hold by ICC regulations stating he was not due to qualify for Australian selection until August 18 that year.
As such, Ahmed’s debut came in the T20 series of that tour on August 29, with four wicketless overs costing him 43 runs. But his second outing saw returns of 3-25.
Ahmed struggled again in the ODI series that followed with just three wickets at 48.33 apiece in three games against Scotland and England, and that coupled with Lyon’s impressive form in Tests and Maxwell in ODIs has limited him to the periphery.
His strong showing in the Sheffield Shield this winter might have changed that and England may have to once again be wary of a dangerous Aussie leg-spinner crossing their shores.
