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| August 30, 2003 | Saturday | Rajab 1, 1424 |
Mushtaq deserves recall
ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, now the leading bowler in the ongoing English County Cricket Championship, is in peak form, that augurs well for his possible recall to the Pakistan fold.
“My job is to perform well, and despite that if they don’t pick you for international cricket I don’t know what you can do?” says Mushtaq in an interview.
Now fast heading to 100 wickets for Sussex, the current leaders in the English County Championship, he says the spin bowlers get better with age and the best age is in the 30s.
For the last two seasons he has been the leading wicket-taker in Pakistan’s domestic cricket but that made no impression on selectors who now want to induct younger players.
But this season’s success with Sussex has again revived Mushtaq’s chances. “I took a lot of wickets at the start of the 2001 tour but I was dropped”, said Mushtaq Ahmed who last played a Test in New Zealand in 2000-2001 season while the last One Day International he figured in was the third match of the series against England at Rawalpindi in October-November 2000.
Mushtaq is a family man and, for the last two years, a devout Muslim who prays five times a day. He is determined to perform his best for Sussex and help the county to capture their first Championship title.
“Allah has given me a lot of insight and blessing. We shouldn’t run after material things. There are many millionaires who are not happy with life. And Allah never closes the door on people.
“I played well in a couple of matches for Surrey last season, and Sussex signed me. I have a one-year contract but I hope that will be increased and I hope to take as many wickets as possible.”—APP
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