Pakistani Cricket Players: Mushtaq Ahmed

Mushtaq Ahmed Biography

Source(google.com.pk)
Mushtaq Ahmed (Urdu: مشتاق احمد) (born 28 June 1970) is a retired Pakistani cricketer who specialised as a leg spin bowler. He was known for his hard-to-pick googly. He memorably trapped Graeme Hick in front with one during the 1992 World Cup final. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997. Nevertheless, despite taking over 150 One Day International and Test wickets, he hasn't played international cricket since October 2003. He is now the spin bowling coach for the England Cricket Team.
However, he has played a lot of county cricket in England, including for Somerset and Surrey earlier in his career and more recently for Sussex.
In 2003, Mushtaq was the leading wicket taker in county cricket, finishing the season with 103 and inspiring Sussex to its first County Championship title. Following this, he was recalled by Pakistan but was soon dropped for being ineffective. In the 2004 season, Mushtaq was again the leading wicket taker in English county cricket with 84 scalps, but with Danish Kaneria's emergence as Pakistan's first-choice leg spinner, Mushtaq's international career was over.
In December 2006, the PCB appointed Mushtaq as assistant coach of the Pakistan team.[1] He acted as interim coach for team's final game of the 2007 World Cup following the death of Bob Woolmer.[2]
In 2006, Mushtaq (or "Mushy" as he is best known to Sussex fans) took 102 wickets as Sussex once more won the County Championship, as well as the C&G Trophy. He began the last Championship match of the season, against Nottinghamshire, on 89 wickets, but a haul of 13 in the match (including a career-best 9-48 in the second innings) took him past the hundred mark once again.
In 2007, Sussex won the County Championship for the second time in two years, again helped greatly by Mushtaq, who took 90 wickets.
If one Mushtaq mastered the 'doosra', the other mastered the 'googly'. Mushtaq Ahmed would have been an ideal bet for an opening batsman; however, the chubby and bubbly man took on to leg-spin and mastered the art to perfection. He shouldered the responsibility of being the only leg-spinner in the team after the legendary Abdul Qadir and went on to become a match winner for Pakistan.

Mushtaq will be best remembered for his hand in his team’s famous World Cup win in 1992 – he gave his team the vital breakthrough in final, dismissing Graeme Hick, after which Wasim Akram ran in and cleaned up the England lower order to guide Pakistan to a win. An action that brought enormous variations in his skill, Mushtaq's poor run with the ball cost him a berth in the playing side in 2000-01.

Although he was kept away from the national squad, his cricketing abilities went on to bring laurels for Sussex as he became the first bowler to claim 100 wickets in five years in the English County season. This feat, brought Sussex their first ever Championship title. However, like many other stars, Mushtaq participated in the rebel league and put his cricketing career with Pakistan at risk. Irrespective of these playing issues, the little-man will always be appreciated for his variable leg-spin deliveries that foxed the best batsmen in the world. In 2013, he was appointed as a bowling consultant to the IPL franchise, Delhi Daredevils for their sixth season.