Handscomb backs Ahmed's national bid

Victoria captain Peter Handscomb says leg-spinner teammate Fawad Ahmed could "100 per cent" do the job for Australia should he earn a shock recall into the country's T20 side for this month's series against Pakistan.

Australia play three T20 matches after the two-Test series against Pakistan, which starts on Sunday, and given his impressive display this year in T20 competitions in Canada and the Caribbean where he won both tournaments, Ahmed could be in line to play his first international match in more than five years. 

If that's the case and Ahmed is selected to travel to the UAE, Handscomb says the leg-spinner would have no problem stepping up to the highest level.

"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."

Ahmed took a tournament-high 22 wickets for Caribbean Premier League champions Trinbago, who are coached by former Test opener Simon Katich.

Katich was in contact with Australia coach Justin Langer about Ahmed's deeds during the successful campaign, and said there was no more influential leg-spinner in the tournament than the Victorian.

Handscomb says Ahmed's intelligence is one of the reasons he continues to dominate at the age of 36.

"He's smart, he seems to read the batter well, he's got unbelievable control on all his deliveries," he said. 

"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."

Having not been handed a state contract by Victoria, Ahmed was set to play in the Afghanistan Premier League starting Saturday in Sharjah, but after he was called up by the Vics he decided to stay in Australia and push his case for higher honours.

He freely admits he's bowling as well as ever, and while he hasn't spoken to the national selectors or Langer, he sees no reason why he shouldn't get the nod.

"If you're physically fit, if you tick all the boxes, why not?" Ahmed told cricket.com.au. 

"I would say if you were 18 or 38, if you're ticking all the boxes then I think you should play and deserve the chances. 

"If I'm bowling well and I'm physically fit and ticking all the boxes I'd love to play for Australia in any format.

"I just want to keep playing for Victoria, bowling well and hopefully contribute to wins."

Katich said that opposition batsmen in the CPL had great difficultly picking Ahmed's wrong'un, a delivery when properly disguised is a devastating weapon for any wrist-spinner.

Ahmed says the key to bowling in T20 cricket is not just bowling bulk googlies, it's remaining unpredictable as the batsmen look to attack the bowling.

"You use your variations a little bit more in T20 cricket than one-day and four-day cricket," Ahmed said.

"In four-day cricket, I would bowl only one wrong'un every four or five overs, to let the batsman keep guessing. 

"But in one-day and T20 cricket you're going to go a little bit harder because you need to be more unpredictable. 

"It's not changing anything but just little bit more variation. You have to be unpredictable because they're going harder from the first ball and you have to bring all the magic from your pocket; sliders, wrong'uns, two or three different types of leg-spinners."

Ahmed initially lost his place in Victoria's JLT One-Day Cup squad to teenage leg-spinner Tom O'Connell, who played in the early stages of the 50-over competition.'

Image Id: 9C9CD573D2C543CAA65137526E9594B5 Image Caption: Tom O'Connell and Fawad Ahmed

While disappointed he wasn't playing, Ahmed made certain he passed on what he knows to O'Connell, a leggie he believes has the tools for representative honours in the future. 

"I like his attitude – he wants to learn and has been working hard and he's a really nice kid," Ahmed said.

"He's got a really strong action. I try to look at, when I see young spinners, how many revs that put on the ball, regardless of their action. 

"That's the only thing you can't improve. It's really hard to improve the revs, it's more likely a natural thing. 

"If you produce a lot of spin naturally the rest can be easily fixed. It's very positive that he can produce a lot of revs on the ball. 

"Nobody is perfect, I'm still learning every year something different. I've passed on a few things. 

"I don't want to change much because he's in the season now, more about certain scenarios and how to bowl in different conditions. Not much technical. 

"He's a good prospect for Victoria and Australia if he keeps working hard."

Following Thursday's washout in Sydney, Victoria will play Western Australia on Sunday in the second JLT Cup semi-final at Junction Oval.