SAQ’S ASHES MOOD
Paceman still smarting over snub for Oz
SAQIB MAHMOOD says he has moved on from his final over hammering from last Sunday but admitted he is still bruised by his winter Ashes snub. Defending 30 in the last over of the T20 match against West Indies, the England seamer was on the end of a mauling and was hit for 28 – including three sixes off his last three balls.
But while that left pride a little dented, Lancashire star Mahmood said it was nothing compared to the disappointment he felt at being left out of the Ashes touring party last winter.
“It’s never nice to go for runs as a bowler, you’ve got to come to terms with the fact that some days you will go around the park,” he said.
“Hopefully I get the chance to make up for it and show that when it comes down to the death I can execute. But the margins for error at this level are very small.”
Selection calls can be similarly tight and, after getting on to the fringes of the Test squad last summer, Mahmood is still angry over the fact he missed out on selection for Joe Root’s squad.
“I had a side injury at the end of the season and was told my fitness – trying to potentially play five Test matches was one of the things which impacted my selection,” he said.
“I’ve got my views on that but that was one thing. I wanted to go out there and prove my fitness and I played the England v Lions game, bowled 30 or 40 overs and felt fit.
“Being dropped back down to the development squad of the Lions after that was a challenge because I’ve been around the England squad for the last two or three years.
“All of a sudden the England boys are training together and you’re in the Lions.
“Even so I just wanted to keep my head down, work hard and try to get into that squad – that was my motivation. But I did find it quite challenging given the Lions guys are seen as a development thing and you get treated like that.
“I did have to speak to someone and say ‘look I could potentially make the squad here and have to get my head around potentially playing so don’t talk to me about development’.
“But it is what it is, that’s gone, there’s no point dwelling over that and there’s a lot of cricket to look forward to now.”
Mahmood is hoping to force selectors’ hands for the tour back here in March but before then has the conclusion of this T20 series.
And if he is charged with bowling at the death again he insists he will carry no scars from last weekend.
“When they need that many runs and have nothing to lose they are literally swinging for every ball, but as a bowler you judge yourself against the required rate at the time and how many runs you go for.
“You could argue that 28 was below the required rate!”