Victoria skipper, Peter Handscomb believes leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed could ‘100 per cent’ justify his place, should he earn a call-up for the T20Is.
Post the two-match Test series against Pakistan, Australia will play three T20Is in the UAE. However, Fawad has done an excellent job in the shortest format of the game. He was at his best in Canada and the CPL 2018, bagging both the trophies.
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In case he receives a call-up, Ahmed will get to play his first game in five years. Handscomb sounded confident, as he feels his teammate Ahmed will up his game when it matters.
“He’s been playing T20 comps all around the world and in those comps, he’s shown how good he is,” Handscomb told cricket.com.au.
“Dominating games, getting man of the matches, just doing all the right things, winning competitions as well. He’s obviously doing something right, and the teams he’s been playing in have been winning,” he said
Playing for Trinbago, the spinner scalped a total of 22 wickets in the CPL. However, the former Aussie cricketer, Simon Katich coaches the franchise. Post the tournament, Katich went on to praise the spinner and even spoke to Australian coach Justin Langer. He said Ahmed was the most influential leg-spinner in CPL 2018.
Handscomb backs Ahmed
Handscomb also praised the spinner for being sharp in the head. He feels the Victorian is still at his best at 36 because of his intelligence.
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“He’s smart, he seems to read the batter well, he’s got unbelievable control on all his deliveries,” he opined.
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“His stock delivery is fantastic, but then all of his change-ups are on the money and generally bowled at the right time as well,” he added.
Fawad Ahmed didn’t receive a contract from Cricket Australia, and after that, he was all set to play in the Afghanistan Premier League. But he was called on time by his state association, and now the spinner is likely to make a bid for a place in the Australian side.