Fawad Ahmed isn’t concerned about rising young leggie James Muirhead leapfrogging him at both Victorian and national level in the space of a week, insisting their local rivalry will boost both their Australian prospects.

Pakistan-born leg spinner Ahmed, 32, faces an uncertain future after he was dropped for Victoria’s Sheffield Shield game against NSW this week for 20-year-old Muirhead.

Just days later Muirhead, who recently signed a four-year deal with Victoria, was selected to play for Australia in this year’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, starting on March 16.

They’re troubling signs for Ahmed, who only six months ago was in red hot contention to replace Australian Test spinner Nathan Lyon in the Ashes, before going on to play three ODIs and two T20 matches against England and Scotland.

Ahmed was in Canberra on Friday to promote the one-year countdown to next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia, and says he’s confident there was enough time to work his way back into the squad alongside front running ODI spin option Xavier Doherty.

And in an ironic twist, he reckons it’s Muirhead that will help get him there.

“Look to Nathan Lyon, he’s doing really well at the moment and he started doing well when he saw that I was coming on the scene with some other spinners,” Ahmed said.

“I’m the same, if I can see James Muirhead or Jon Holland in the (Victorian) team, I need to work hard and fight hard for a spot, so that will make me do my best and work harder.

“I’ve always done well when there was competition.”

Ahmed has just one year left on his contract with Victoria, but insists he hasn’t thought about heading to a state where there’s less competition.

And despite seeming on the outer with the national selectors, Ahmed says they’ve informed him he hasn’t slipped too far down the pecking order.

“I’ve have a good chat with the selectors from time to time and they still are advising me I’m in contention,” he said.