London, March 21: Former England captain Nasser Hussain wants rhythm thrower Saqib Mahmood, who made his Test debut in the tied second Test against the West Indies in Bridgetown, Barbados, not only to be used on overseas tours but also in the conditions of England.
Mahmood, 25, was England’s standout bowler, taking two wickets in each innings as the Joe Root-led side enjoyed a lead over all five days. And, barring the rearguard act in the last two sessions of the final day of the Test by West Indies captain Kriag Brathwaite on Monday (IST), England looked poised to take a 1-0 lead in the series. .
“Saqib Mahmood should be used for more than just days off after he showed he can be adept as a traditional closer for England during the second Test against West Indies,” Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail on Monday.
“Mahmood needs more exposure, and exposure at home to thrive in England. He shouldn’t be described as a bowler to use only in overseas conditions. Mahmood shouldn’t be labeled a bowler to use exclusively in overseas conditions only.” because he has some old ball skills and a slippery action,” Hussain, 53, said.
“As we saw (in the second test), he’s also good on the new ball… I noticed how good he is as a traditional closer. He threw the ball up, made a proper, orthodox swing and threw a heavy ball.” . Hussein opined.
Hussain felt that while the pacemaker might prove useful in rare conditions, limiting it to only that in the future would do him a disservice. He opined that Mahmood has all the attributes to be successful in various ways and in various situations.
“What we’ve seen this week is that he’s definitely quick enough for Test cricket and he was able to hit hard at an unresponsive Kensington Oval pitch and get something out of it. He can rush batsmen by hitting the palm of the bat even though things look placid.” The former cricketer added that it was a “good debut” for the bowler.
“He will no doubt be disappointed with his wicket from no-ball in the early innings, but he has shown he is someone England should persevere with. The lengths he produced on the final day at Bridgetown were excellent. Mahmood is someone in the hierarchy of England have been hanging around for a long time. I remember speaking to (former England manager) Chris Silverwood in New Zealand at the end of 2019 and he told me he liked the look of this lad.” Hussain felt that with rhythm stalwarts Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad at the end of their careers, Mahmood should be part of England’s future.