Mushtaq Ahmed: “Currently, we have four spinners, they are leg-spinners, Usman Qadir on which you are banking for the past two or three years. There’s Usama Mir, Shadab Khan as well. Zahid Mahmood, who has taken plenty of wickets in first-class cricket”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed said Pakistan have four main leg-spinners to choose from right now – Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mahmood.
Lately, the men in green have utilised Shadab and Mir, while Mahmood and Qadir last played international cricket in December 2022 and October 2023 respectively.
However, even though Shadab and Mir have failed to live up to expectations over the past couple of months, Mushtaq acknowledged that they are two of the best leg-spinners the country has.
“Currently, we have four spinners, they are leg-spinners, Usman Qadir on which you are banking for the past two or three years. There’s Usama Mir, Shadab Khan as well. Zahid Mahmood, who has taken plenty of wickets in first-class cricket,” he told Cricket Pakistan.
The Pakistan team recently lost 3-0 in their Test series against Australia before being beaten 4-1 in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Shadab will now captain Islamabad United in the 2024 Pakistan Super League, while Mir and Qadir will play for the Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators respectively.
Mahmood, meanwhile, was not picked by any team for PSL 9, which will be held from February 17 to March 18 in four cities – Lahore, Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi.
Islamabad United Squad for PSL 9: Shadab Khan (captain), Naseem Shah, Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Matthew Forde, Salman Ali Agha, Qasim Akram, Shahab Khan, Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah, Shamyl Hussain, Tom Curran (reserved), Obed McCoy, Haider Ali
Multan Sultans Squad for PSL 9: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah, Faisal Akram, David Willey, Dawid Malan, Reece Topley, Reeza Hendricks, Tayyab Tahir, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Ali, Usman Khan, Yasir Khan, Chris Jordan, Aftab Ibrahim, Johnson Charles, Mohammad Shahzad
Quetta Gladiators Squad for PSL 9: Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain), Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Jason Roy, Wanindu Hasaranga (partially available), Bismillah Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain, Will Smeed, Sherfane Rutherford, Mohammad Amir, Saud Shakeel, Sajjad Ali Jnr, Usman Qadir, Omair Bin Yousuf, Adil Naz, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Akeal Hosein, Sohail Khan, Laurie Evans
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