Family and friends welcomed Australia’s decision to give citizenship to Pakistan’s Fawad Ahmed, hoping the leg-spinner gets the chance to wreak havoc on England’s batsmen during the Ashes.
Ahmed, 31, played just 10 first-class games in Pakistan with little success and sought political asylum in Australia, claiming death threats from the Taliban because he was involved in a charity promoting women’s education.
He could now feature in Australia’s effort to reclaim the Ashes, starting in Nottingham from July 10, after his bid for citizenship was accepted on Tuesday.
“I am very, very happy for my younger brother,” Ahmed’s elder brother Sajjad told AFP by telephone from Swabi, a small town in Pakistan’s troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, hit frequently by Taliban attacks.
“This means trouble for England, because if you look at England’s past record as recently as 2012, they were bamboozled by our spinner Saeed Ajmal,” said Sajjad, referring to Ajmal’s 24 wickets in Pakistan’s 3-0 rout of England in the United Arab Emirates.
The former refugee played for Australia A last month in England and selector John Inverarity has indicated he will be considered for the Ashes squad.
The possibility of playing for his new country opened up after the Australian government moved amendments to the Citizenship Act through the upper house of parliament to help fast-track his application.
The legislation allows the immigration minister to apply shorter residential requirements on some citizenship applicants, such as elite athletes with the potential to represent Australia.
Aamir Nawab, president of Ahmed’s local regional cricket association, said Ahmed was talented enough to make his mark and his case would open more avenues for those who get discouraged in Pakistan.
One of Ahmed’s cousins, talented leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who played a one-day match for Pakistan in 2011, also agrees that Ahmed has a good chance of making it big.
“Ahmed’s height is his advantage and he can baffle England batsmen in the Ashes,” said Shah, adding the prospect of playing for Pakistan with Ahmed in Australian colours delights him.
“If that chance comes, I will make fun of his bowling and warn him not to bowl against us, we are good players of spin, unlike the English.”
