It TOOK Fawad Ahmed more than two years to earn the right to stay in Australia, but just a week thereafter to become a professional cricketer. The Pakistani leg-spinner's momentous past fortnight, which began with his recruitment as a net bowler for the Australian
Test team and included securing the personal intervention of Immigration Minister Chris Bowen for a permanent Australian visa, has been capped off with him earning a contract to represent Melbourne Renegades in the looming Big Bash League Twenty20 tournament.
Ahmed, 30, has long been on the radar of the Renegades but the catalyst for his eventual signing was the decision of Cricket Australia, after co-operation with the state associations, to allow him to qualify as a local player rather than an international, of which teams cannot sign more than two at a time.
"That just changed everything," Renegades chief executive Stuart Coventry said on Thursday.
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"We'd always looked at him seriously but only as a replacement. Now that he's come up and is available to play the whole series as a domestic player it's changed the momentum."
Ahmed abandoned a promising first-class career in Pakistan because his passion for cricket had prompted threats from religious extremists who believed that by playing the game and coaching he was promoting western values. He was sponsored to travel to Australia by a NSW cricket club in mid-2010 and had been striving to remain in the country ever since, until Minister Bowen's recent decision.
While Ahmed lives about 10 minutes from the Renegades' home ground, Etihad Stadium, Coventry said significant competition had emerged from three interstate teams for the signature of the former asylum seeker for the BBL, which begins early next month.
"He's had a lot to consider over the past week since he found out about his residency . . . and fielded a lot of calls from all those in the cricketing world, and also player agent and potential sponsors. A lot's been happening and he's taken it very well," he said.
"He just feels this [Melbourne] is his home and he wants to stay here and play."
Coventry stressed the humanitarian aspect of Ahmed's signing had not trumped considerations of his cricketing ability.
"The feedback that came back from his bowling to [the Australian Test squad] in Brisbane a couple of weeks ago . . . from the players was that this guy is just incredible," he said.
"Having guys like 'Murali' [Muthiah Muralidaran] and Aaron O'Brien and now him in the mix we've got some really good options for spin," he said.
"He gives us that third spin option. He'll definitely play games, it's [just] a matter of when he plays."
In addition to Ahmed, the Renegades also announced the signing of their final local player: in-form Tasmania batsman Alex Doolan.
Doolan thrust his name in Test-selection calculations with a stunning start to the first-class season, most notably 161 for Australia A against South Africa at the SCG.
Coventry said he was delighted to secure the 26-year-old for the tournament, and forecast the possibility of a multi-season deal.
"He's a super talent. For a guy who's only played 30-odd first-class games and a handful of T20 games he's really an up and comer potentially for the Test team . . . that probably just got overlooked because most teams were locked and loaded. We're really excited to have him."
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