From coaching to chasing T20 dream
HE has ambitions to play for Australia, but that has not stopped Fawad Ahmed mentoring a rival leg-spinner.
Moments after Ahmed’s Melbourne University lost to Geelong by six wickets in Premier cricket last Sunday, the T20 specialist was offering tips to Cats’ leg-break bowler Joel Blain.
“He said he’s struggling a little bit, so I gave him some basic advice,” said Ahmed, who declared he would continue to press his claims for next year’s T20 World Cup.
“I said to him, the problem is bowling too many bad balls. It’s all about consistency.
“It varies from person to person, some guys like to rip the ball hard and have all the tricks, and they don’t care about the bad balls, but I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like bowling bad balls.
“You hardly see me bowl a bad ball. If the batsmen can hit me, that’s a different story, but I’m not going to get hit, I’m not going to give them freebies. I want a batsman to work hard.
“That’s what he’s struggling with . . . he was bowling a couple of full tosses, halfvolleys and halftrackers.”
Blain battled at Uni Oval, smashed for 46 from four overs, while taking one wicket.
He and Geelong coach Tim Ludeman met Ahmed after the players had shaken hands and they remained on the field in discussions for about 10 minutes.
Ahmed said he was more than willing to mentor Blain, who has played eight matches in the first XI.
“It’s a simple theory, bowl as much as you can . . . at least a couple of times a week and bowl 200-300 balls on that day and that will make you better,” he said.
“It’s a habit, leg-spin is a habit, and if you don’t bowl much, you will struggle. “Modern-day cricket is about consistency, not your tricks. If you have good control, you will go for less runs. “Look at Nathan Lyon. He bowls one ball with a little pace variation and he’s one of the best in the world. If you are consistent, you won’t go for many runs, but, again, you need to bowl a lot in the nets, just by yourself, and not to a batsman, so you can get that confidence to execute.”
Having taken 45 scalps in 51 BBL matches, Ahmed has joined a third BBL franchise, crossing to Perth Scorchers. He revealed he was shown the door by the Thunder, despite snaring 13 wickets at an economy rate of 7.02 in 14 games.
“I didn’t get a good response from Sydney Thunder and I asked my manager to find a club for me,” Ahmed said. “There were a few clubs interested and they gave me some good offers. We discussed some future plans like spin coaching and I love coaching.
“If they (Thunder) offered me something I would have been happy to stay, but that’s how franchise cricket works. “I’m playing every second month in a different franchise with different teammates, so that’s the way it is. I had a great time in Sydney and we won the competition so it was good.”
Ahmed is hopeful another fruitful Big Bash League would bang down the door to play for Australia in next year’s T20 World Cup, which starts in Geelong in October.
“I would love to (play for Australia again),” he said.
“I’m running around nicely, my body is good, I’m in a really good headspace and I’m bowling well. If you’re performing well and something comes up, well and good, if not it’s OK. I’m still happy and I’m enjoying it and I don’t have that pressure to perform really well in the Big Bash to qualify for the World Cup in Australia.
“I will still perform at my best, I’m not working during the week or doing anything else, so I’m still going to try and bowl well in all franchise cricket all over the world.
“I’m still bowling really well. I took the most wickets in four or five BBLs in a row as a spinner and I had the best economy, so we’ll see.
“I took 3-24 against England in my last T20 game and I never played after that. I bowled the last over and Eoin Morgan and Joss Butler were batting, so I’ve still got it.”