Fawad in frame for a shock national recall

Veteran spinner Fawad Ahmed has emerged as a candidate for a shock recall to the national T20 side on the back of his exploits in the Caribbean Premier League.

A recall for the 36-year-old leg-spinner would be a major surprise after he lost his state contract earlier this year, but has the perfect chance to enhance his case after being called up to Victoria's JLT One Day Cup squad to face South Australia on Sunday.

Australia coach Justin Langer, the national T20 selector, has been keeping tabs on Fawad ahead of Australia's three-match series against Pakistan at the end of October, following the Test matches.

The leg-spinner has responded to the shock of losing his Victorian contract with a productive winter playing 20-over cricket, including a tournament-high of 22 wickets in the CPL.

Australia's improved results in T20s this year have been largely thanks to their fast bowlers, but the Pakistan series in the UAE will likely be dominated by spinners.

Selectors are yet to properly discuss the make-up of the T20 squad, which will be the first picked under a revamped selection process that will see Langer take the leading role.

And given Adam Zampa has dropped out of favour and with Mitchell Swepson unable to take his limited chances this year, Ahmed could be the ideal man to partner finger-spinning allrounders Ashton Agar and Glenn Maxwell.

Former Test batsman Simon Katich, who coached Ahmed during Trinbago's title-winning run at the CPL, said Langer was eager to hear a first-hand account of how the Sydney Thunder star had performed in the Caribbean.

And Katich added there's "no doubt" in his mind that the Pakistan-born spinner is ready to return to the top level for the first time in more than five years.

"(Langer and I are) good mates and I was fielding a few messages from him during the CPL about a few of our players, because Chris Lynn was there as well," Katich told cricket.com.au.

"I've given him my honest feedback. Justin knows where I stand ... and we'll see what happens.

"I was really impressed not only with (Fawad's) skill, but for me the big thing was his work ethic and his attitude.

"I think he's got all the weapons (and) a lot of guys couldn't pick his wrong'un.

"There wasn't a better leggie there, and that's saying something. He was the most influential.

"He was a pleasure to have around our group and I'd love to see him have an influence in Australian cricket."

Ahmed played two T20s and three ODIs for Australia on the 2013 tour of the UK, and in a young playing group, Ahmed's experience playing around the world would be invaluable.

The spinner received a further boost on Saturday when he was a surprise addition to Victoria's JLT Cup squad in place of injured allrounder Will Sutherland, setting up a spin-bowling showdown with Zampa at Melbourne's Junction Oval.

Zampa has also been on the charge this tournament to press his own case for a recall, with nine wickets at 22 in four matches.

T20 cricket was once feared as the death knell for slow bowlers, but leg-spinners have enjoyed a stunning resurgence in the shortest format in recent years.

Seven of the world's top-10 ranked T20 bowlers are leg-spinners, as well as five of the top 10 in ODIs, with the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav (India), Adil Rashid (England), Imran Tahir (South Africa) and Shadab Khan (Pakistan) crucial to the strong recent form of their respective teams.

And Katich says it's a trend the Australians need to follow if they are to arrest their recent slide, particularly in ODI cricket.

"I think it's something they'll be looking at after the recent results in England and Zimbabwe," he said.

"India are a prime example at the moment with their one-day cricket. Having two of them has given them a massive advantage in the middle overs of one-day games.

"You'd like to think we'd have a look at that and rectify that issue."

The first of three T20s against Pakistan is on October 24 in Abu Dhabi.