Pakistan-born Fawad Ahmed was dominating the cricket headlines in mid-2013 despite not actually being on the field.
At the time Cricket Australia was attempting to have his Australian citizenship fast-tracked ahead of the Ashes.
On July 2 that year the leg-spinner became an Australian citizen, and the following month he was selected to represent his adopted country in both the ODI and Twenty20 series against England.
He turned out in five internationals on the tour – three ODIs for three wickets at 48.3 and three wickets at 22.7 from his two T20s.
In the end, the plan to hurry him into the Test side was abandoned and he was consigned to representing Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades at domestic level.
Now, 18 months after his last international appearance he is very much in the frame to make his Test debut. Throughout the first two days over the weekend in the Sheffield Shield final against Western Australia at Hobart, he sent down 40 overs for career-best figures of 8-89.
He has been the most prolific wicket-taker in the domestic first-class competition this summer with 48 wickets at 23.8, outstanding numbers for a wrist-spinner.
Having made his debut in first-class ranks in Pakistan he has now racked up 36 appearances for a total of 136 wickets at 29.2. He bowls with an action not dissimilar to Anil Kumble, although he imparts far more spin on the ball than the Indian.
His ability to turn the ball sharply has been a key to many of his dismissals this season.
In his last four Shield matches he has claimed three five-wicket hauls – 8-89, 5-35 and 5-50 – and in that time aggregate figures of 24 wickets at an average of 13.5. Those figures, and his overall showing throughout the summer, should be enough to see him on the plane for June’s two-Test tour of the Caribbean.
From there Australia will cross the Atlantic for another Ashes series. While incumbent Test spinner Nathan Lyon has been a steady performer for Australia, in recent years he has not always risen to the task of running through a side in the latter stages of a match.
Ahmed’s wrist spin may prove a more potent weapon.
There may be times where the pair could be used in tandem but there may also be a case for Ahmed pushing Lyon out of the team. Australia, in particular, has never been an overly productive country for finger-spinners.
Two modern day greats – Muttiah Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh – both struggled in Australian conditions with each averaging over 75 in Test ranks.
A quick glance of the leading spin bowlers in Australia’s history clearly shows how leg-spinners have been the more productive. Shane Warne tops the list with 708 wickets, followed by Richie Benaud (248), Clarrie Grimmett (216), Stuart MacGill (208) and Bill O’Reilly (144).
In sixth position is the leading finger-spinning wicket taker, Hugh Trumble – whose career ended in 1904 – with 141 wickets. Lyon is the next best in that department with 138 scalps, narrowly ahead of Ashley Mallett (132) and Bruce Yardley (126).
Ahmed turned 33 last month and he is certainly at the peak of his powers. He still has potentially three years of first-class cricket ahead of him and given the number of Tests played nowadays that could equate to around 40 Tests over that period.
Since the retirement of Warne eight years ago Australia has gone through a number of wrist-spin bowlers. MacGill, who was towards the end of his career when Warne departed, played briefly before injury cut him down.
The selectors also showed faith in Beau Casson, Cameron White, Bryce McGain and Steve Smith (who debuted at number eight in the batting order at Lord’s in 2010). Left-arm wristie Brad Hogg reappeared in December 2007 but made only three appearances.
The selectors have been desperate to find a permanent leg-spinner and have promoted some to Test level only to see their time in the baggy green ended as quickly as it started with both Casson and McGain only making the one appearance each.
Perhaps the time has come to blood another in the form of Fawad Ahmed. His performances at first-class level in Australia stand above many of those who have previously been given the nod in the post-Warne era.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
The selectors are choosing both on Tuesday aren't they?
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Pattinson is injured again. He needs more time, you'd hope they wouldn't take him on a wing and a prayer considering how many problems he's had with fitness.
Don Freo
Guest
Well, no. Henriques killed that game by batting for far too long in the first dig. He should have declared when the 100 overs had finished...or sooner.
Armchair Expert
Guest
You have a conveniently short memory Don, WA had no intention of winning their previous game against NSW outright , they preferred to bat out a draw to be certain to make the final, with the pitch seemingly prepared accordingly, you can hardly condemn Victoria for doing the same thing to win the shield, especially on a pitch they had no control over.
Don Freo
Guest
...and...?
Don Freo
Guest
Watched every ball. As commentator, former Oz bowling coach, Ali De Winter said, " He bowled wonderfully throughout. A cricket contest.. a final particularly.. Is not a contest if a pitch is prepared only for batsmen. That one team can win a final by not trying to win is crazy. The final should have been played anywhere in Australia where a curator could set up an even chance for bat and ball.
Nick Potter
Guest
Don, it was a c & b off short leg's foot!
Armchair Expert
Guest
Did you see that 1 innings wicket by Agar Don?, it was the biggest fluke of all time, from what I saw, he never looked like getting Hussey or Wade out.
Don Freo
Guest
20 overs, 1/23? Terrible. With batsmen playing no shots at all, Agar still got a wicket. Taking 4 of the 14 wickets, he bowled beautifully.
Armchair Expert
Guest
Judging by their 2nd innings efforts with the ball in the shield final, Ahmed and Agar both regressed.
Bucko
Guest
West Indies 1. Rogers 2. Warner 3. Smith 4. Clarke (c) 5. Voges 6. M Marsh 7. Haddin (wk) 8. O'keefe 9. Johnson 10. Starc 11. Lyon 12. Burns S Marsh, Watson, Lynn, Hazlewood. UK 1. Rogers 2. Warner 3. Smith 4. Clarke (c) 5. Voges 6. M Marsh 7. Haddin (wk) 8. Johnson 9. Harris 10. Lyon 11. Hazlewood Burns, Watson, S Marsh, Nevill, Starc, O'keefe, Cummins/Pattinson.
Bucko
Guest
Agars 10 wicket haul was on a 'glue pot' wicket in glenelg. But so was ahmeds last couple of games in Alice springs...O'keefe has been consistently good over the last five seasons...and now he can bat better then some
Armchair Expert
Guest
You're "flogging a dead horse" with those dropped catches Don.
Bearfax
Guest
Just coming down to my audience for a bit there Don
Don Freo
Guest
Ah! No stats this time (at last). Just blabber.
Bearfax
Guest
Don, why do you do this to yourself. You keep fighting for such lost causes mate. You keep raising the exception, or the individual often irrelevant issue and ignore the big picture. A few dropped catches in one match does not justify suggesting one player is better than the other. I could raise anecdotal examples until the cows come in as they say. But it doesnt prove anything if the figures overall show that one player is consistently more successful than the other. Enough with protecting the lame ducks. I realise you're the sensitive type. But lets get pragmatic eh. SOK is consistently the most successful spin bowler in the country. The figures are there CONSISTENTLY. How the heck can you ignore them or are you just figure blind. The Earth is shaped like a globe, not a pancake. The sky is blue on a clear day, not orange. SOK is the most successful spin bowler in Australia in recent years. Shaun Marsh is a very average test player.And Western Australia, is not the centre of the Universe. But I will admit you make me chuckle arguing against such obvious facts.
Don Freo
Guest
Lyon has taken 46 wickets in 20 innings he has bowled in Australia this summer (that's 23 in 8 Test innings and 23 in 12 Shield innings). O'Keefe has taken 28 in 16 innings. That projects to 35 out of 20 innings or 21 wickets in 12 innings...Hmmmm. Both statistical representations present Lyon as superior. The non-statistical reading is that Lyon's dismissals were usually batsmen whereas SOK's were mostly tail. 23 in 8 innings in tests should silence every critic.
Don Freo
Guest
Les Burdett, the long time curator of Adelaide Oval, is now the curator of Glenelg. His process is to always create a batting road. Did you not read the criticism for the Glenelg games or am I right in believing you don't follow Shield cricket?
Don Freo
Guest
You'd be struggling to show that...even with your statistics. You've never shown that.
Don Freo
Guest
Harris is the opener with the 100 test career ahead of him.