Mushtaq Ahmed Archives

Peshawar Zalmi coach laments rushing Saim Ayub back in PSL after injury

Peshawar Zalmi bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed expressed disappointment over the return of Saim Ayub to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 without sufficient match preparation.

In early January, Saim Ayub suffered a right ankle fracture while fielding during the first day of the second Test between Pakistan and South Africa. The injury ruled him out for 10 weeks and prevented him from playing in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The incident occurred in the seventh over of South Africa’s first innings when Ryan Rickelton played a fuller-length delivery from Mohammad Abbas past the slip cordon into the deep third-wicket region.

Following the injury, Saim Ayub was advised a six-month rest period to allow for a full recovery and was sent to the United Kingdom for his rehab following an ankle injury.

The Pakistan opening batter missed the Champions Trophy 2025 and the following New Zealand white-ball tour.

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Saim Ayub returned to competitive cricket in PSL 10, scoring a fifty in his first game. However, the left-hander has struggled to find his form since then and is experiencing a lean run in form.

Now, Peshawar Zalmi bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed has confessed that it was a mistake to bring Saim Ayub directly into PSL 10 without sufficient match practice.

While speaking in the post-match studio show, Mushtaq shed light on Saim Ayub’s difficulties with the bat.

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“When a player returns from injury, net sessions alone aren’t enough,” said Mushtaq. “To regain form and rhythm, match practice is essential.”

Mushtaq Ahmed stressed the need for a few club matches for Saim Ayub before returning to the high-pressure environment of the PSL.

“Unfortunately, that did not happen, and now we are seeing the consequences of not giving him enough match time before the tournament,” he added.

READ: Saim Ayub picks only one Pakistani player in his T20I World XI

Mushtaq Ahmed backs Bangladesh spinners ahead of Pakistan Tests

LAHORE: Mushtaq Ahmed has expressed his support for the spin bowlers of the Bangladesh cricket team, highlighting their potential as match-winners ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan.

The Test series will commence in Rawalpindi, with the first Test scheduled to begin on 21 August. Following that, the action will shift to the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, where the second Test match will be held from 30 August to 3 September.

During a press conference here on Thursday, Mushtaq, who is the spin-bowling consultant of Bangladesh, shared that the team combination will be decided after assessing the conditions in Rawalpindi.

“We will decide the combination after going to Rawalpindi and assessing the conditions there,” said Mushtaq Ahmed.

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“Spinners have an important role in Test cricket, their importance cannot be denied.”

The former Pakistan leg-spinner heaped high praise on Bangladesh’s spinners and the country’s overall bowling talent.

“Bangladesh’s spinners are a vital cog in their lineup and they are genuine match-winners. The good thing is that the country is producing good bowlers,” he added.

“If the condition is favourable for fast bowlers, we have good pacers too.”

He also expressed gratitude towards the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for extending an invitation to the visiting team to arrive early and engage in practice sessions ahead of the series, especially in light of the political turmoil in Bangladesh.

READ: Jay Shah breaks silence on India visiting Pakistan for Champions Trophy

Mushtaq Ahmed joins England U19 coaching panel

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed has signed a contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to join their under-19 cricket team on Monday.

The 1992 World Cup winner will join the England U19 team for a short stint, bringing his extensive experience as a player and coach to the young spin bowlers.

The England U19 team is currently playing the first of a two-match home Test series against Sri Lanka.

Prior to signing with England, Ahmed served as the spin bowling coach of the Bangladesh men’s cricket team during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

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It’s worth noting that Nizamuddin Chowdhury, the CEO of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), expressed his willingness to extend Mushtaq Ahmed’s contract.

“We wanted him for a certain number of days. Before we communicated with Mushtaq [regarding the appointment], he had prior engagements till December which included the England U19 job. So we said that we will have him till the [T20] World Cup and then we will sit and sort it out,” Chowdhury said.

“That discussion [on renewal] is still ongoing with him. If he lets us know how many days he can be available for us till December in combination with his prior engagements, we will lock him down for those days. After December 2024, we will have a long-term agreement with Mushtaq,” he added.

Ahmed has previously served as the spin bowling coach for England (2008-2014), West Indies (2018-19) and Pakistan (2020-22).

READ: Temba Bavuma returns to South Africa squad for West Indies Tests

Mushtaq Ahmed appointed as Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed is set to join the Bangladesh cricket team as the spin bowling coach, confirmed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday.

The 1992 World Cup winner will join the Bangladesh team later this month ahead of the T20I series against Zimbabwe and will work with them until the end of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

BCB announced the appointment of Ahmed as the spin bowling coach through a press release.

“Former Pakistan leg-spinner and World Cup winner Mushtaq Ahmed has been appointed Bangladesh National Team Spin Bowling Coach,” the press release stated.

“He will join the side ahead of the preparation camp later this month for the T20 series against Zimbabwe and will work with the Bangladesh team until the end of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA.”

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Ahmed has previously served as the spin bowling coach for England (2008-2014), West Indies (2018-19) and Pakistan (2020-22).

“It is a great honour for me to be a part of the Bangladesh cricket team as a spin bowling coach,” Mushtaq Ahmed said in a statement released by BCB.

“I am looking forward to the role and want to pass my experience to the players because they are very coachable and I always believe that they are one of the most dangerous teams around.

“They can beat anyone because they have the capability, the resources and the talent. I will try to instil that belief into them. I am very excited at the opportunity to work with the team,” he concluded.

The right-handed bowler took 185 wickets in 52 Tests and 161 wickets in 144 ODIs for Pakistan.

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‘I advised Virat Kohli to work on his front foot’ claims Mushtaq Ahmed

KARACHI: Current Pakistan and former England spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed claimed that he advised the Indian top batter Virat Kohli to work on his footwork amid India’s tour to England.

Mushtaq, while speaking on ARY News’ show Bouncer (Eid Special) claimed that the former England spin bowling coach interacted with India’s top batter Kohli amid the ongoing tour of the subcontinent nation and advised the latter to work on his front foot movement.

“Once Virat was training in the gym and he himself came to me and asked how’s everything is going and after a brief conversation I told him a couple of things and he’s a very smart and a good listener,” Mushtaq revealed.

“So, I told Virat that the initial 10-15 runs you score, your front foot lands straight on the pitch and when you try to drive the ball and as your foot is not in the direction of the ball, it takes the outside nick even on a flat surface,” he added.

The legendary spinner then claimed that Virat acknowledged his point and started to shuffle across the pitch in the next games.

“After that, I noted that he began to shuffle across the pitch to get the ball in the middle but as you know when a batter shuffles especially when it is swinging, he lost track of where his off-stump was,” Mushtaq shared.

“He was carefully listening to all my points and acknowledged me, ‘That’s a very good point Mushi bhai and I would work on it’,” he maintained.

The former England coach then went on to reveal that he held a meeting with English cricket team management and made a policy to prevent Virat from scoring big and they agreed on the same.

“We made a policy for him [Kohli] during India’s white-ball tour and I told the English management that being an Asian coach, I think we should set a tight field for him for his first 15 runs. Let him hit the ball over mid-off, mid-on, or cover but he won’t be able to do so since he is afraid,” Mushtaq claimed.

“His confidence level gets boosted by getting a couple of quick singles, which he achieves by tapping the ball towards mid-off and mid-on in the early phase of his inning. So, I told them that we should take chances on him during his first 15 runs since there is a high chance that he would get out after playing a poor shot,” he concluded.

READ: Chandimal stars with century as Sri Lanka take lead on the third day

‘It is important for us to have solid players in middle-order’ Mushtaq Ahmed

MANCHESTER: The spin bowling coach of the Pakistan National Men’s Cricket Team – Mushtaq Ahmed reviewed his team’s triumph against the West Indies in the first ODI and stressed the importance of a solid middle-order.

Mushtaq, in an exclusive interview with this reporter here, highlighted the issue of an unstable middle-order while claiming that we often misunderstood the role of the middle-order batters, claiming it is the position for hitting sixes.

“It is important for us to have solid batters in the middle-order. I think we have misunderstood the concept of the middle-order numerous times, which is in fact the position for hitting sixes,” Mushtaq stated.

“The fourth, fifth, and sixth number batting order is very important for a team. The openers laid the foundation of the match and the middle-order batters finish the game. I think the team should focus on this technically and the batters recruited in the middle-order must be solid,” he maintained.

The former cricketer also applauded the heroic knock of the left-handed batter Khushdil Shah and termed him the match-winner, whose unbeaten knock of 41 led the Green Shirts to victory after the skipper Babar Azam laid the foundation with a magnificent century.

“The way Khushdil played was simply outstanding. He is a match-winner. The energy level of the players does not remain the same in such hot weather. But the credit goes to Babar, his team, and the management for this incredible victory,” Mushtaq said.

The legendary spinner further highlighted the importance of consistent chances by claiming it motivates the player to perform to their fullest.

“The most important thing to focus on is the continuity and I think the board is already working on it,” Mushtaq claimed.

“This continuity helps in building the confidence of the players and they feel motivated to perform well in any given situation,” he concluded.

READ: Australia blunt Sri Lanka in a low-scoring thriller, seal T20I Series 2-0

Shahid Afridi Foundation launches Mega Star League

KARACHI: Shahid Afridi, the founder of the Shahid Afridi Foundation and a former Pakistan all-rounder, has announced the launch of the Mega Stars League (MSL), which will take place in September this year.

Shahid, while talking at a press conference alongside legendary cricketers Inzamam ul Haq, Waqar Younus, and Mushtaq Ahmed, unveiled the details about the upcoming league, which will be played in T10 format. According to the star all-rounder, the purpose of the MSL is to financially support the former cricketers, athletes, and sports journalists.

“Mega Star League is an entertaining league, which is scheduled to be played in September in Rawalpindi this year. The core idea behind introducing this league is to financially support the ex-cricketers, athletes, and sports journalists,” he said.

“The MSL will feature six teams, and foreign players will also take part in the upcoming league,” he added.

The star all-rounder further commented about the departmental cricket and claimed that everyone is missing departmental cricket.

“I think everyone is missing the departmental cricket and also whatever the new system be, it should get a chance to stay functional for long,” he concluded.

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