Pakistani refugee Fawad Ahmed called up to Australia A squad before Ashes

The prospects of Ahmed 31 playing for his adopted country improved dramatically when a bill to amend the Citizenship Act which will help fasttrack his application passed through Australia39s lower house of parliament Wednesday quotFawad is a spin bowler of interest and we look forward to seeing how he performs for Australia Aquot chief selector John Inverarity said expressing confidence Ahmed39s citizenship would soon be awarded While the legislation still needs to go through the upper house Cricket Australia said it appeared there was enough support for it to become law The new legislation will give Australia39s immigration minister the power to apply shorter residential requirements on some citizenship applicants such as elite athletes with the potential to represent Australia as in Ahmed39s case Pakistanborn Fawad Ahmed is a big step closer to playing in the Ashes after being called up to the Australia A squad PicAFP Currently according to the International Cricket Council39s Player Eligibility Criteria Ahmed will only become eligible for national selection on August 18 But CA said that if the bill should become law and Ahmed obtains citizenship and an Australian passport before that date he will immediately be available for the national side The opening Test of the Ashes series takes place in Nottingham on July 10 The ICC39s Player Eligibility Criteria does not apply to being picked for A teams so Ahmed is able to join Australia A39s current tour CA said Ahmed 31 will leave for Britain this weekend and be available for the Australia A tour matches against Ireland 1417 June and Gloucestershire 2123 June quotIt39s amazing news for mequot he told reporters in Melbourne quotI am very happy It is a great opportunity for me to prove myself for Australia A in overseas conditionsquot Ahmed said his journey to Australia had been all about survival quotI39ve been through a really tough timequot he said quotWars in Pakistan and fled in 2010 refugee camp here struggled to survive but never gave up worked hard and happy to be in a great place quotThis nation has given me a lot They have given me honour and respectquot he added The prospect of him playing for Australia has been lauded by Test great legspinner Shane Warne who believes Ahmed can become an unlikely Ashes hero quotI wish him all the best and I really hope all the documentation goes through because I think he could be a real surprise element for Australiaquot Warne told the BBC on Tuesday quotHe39s got that surprise element and he doesn39t get flustered about anything I think he could be very good for Australiaquot Offspinner Nathan Lyon is the only spin bowler in Australia39s 16man Ashes squad with the selectors leaving the door open for Ahmed and others to press claims However national captain Michael Clarke denied before leaving for England that he would automatically leapfrog Lyon who was dropped and then recalled during Australia39s 40 Test series loss in India in March Ahmed who has been coached by former Test spinner Stuart MacGill at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane said he also hoped to have a coaching session in England with Warne Ahmed was handed a permanent visa to remain in Australia in November after leaving his home in the border region near Afghanistan where he said he was targeted by Muslim extremists He played three Sheffield Shield games for Victoria late last season and took 16 wickets at 2837 bringing him to the notice of Australian selectors