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Cricket

Mushtaq close to agreeing England coaching role

04/10/2008

Former Sussex star Mushtaq Ahmed is in talks to become the new spin bowling coach with the England national team.

The 38-year-old leg-spinner retired from first class cricket last month after helping Sussex to three County Championship titles, taking a remarkable 598 wickets in six seasons with the county. Now England coach Peter Moores has approached Mushtaq to help nurture the talent of future and current English spinners.

Mushtaq plans to play in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), and also has a coaching offer from Sussex, but the former Pakistan international is confident a deal will be struck with England. He has even suggested that he might start to coach the England academy players in India this winter.

"I believe there are more opportunities for spin-bowling talent in England than in Asia, which may surprise people, but it is then a matter of how you nurture and develop that talent," said Mushtaq.

"I saw a very good prospect at Hampshire (Liam Dawson), there is Adil Rashid at Yorkshire. Of course there's Monty (Panesar), and I know there are plenty of other spinners out there in county second teams.

"It is about making an average talent into a good talent, or a good talent into a great talent. First, they have to spin the ball - that is the basic requirement - then other things like aggression, having the confidence and variety comes after.

"Monty has proved himself a match winner who has bowled beautifully and who does a great job for England. But there is always room for improvement. If he takes five wickets I would ask, 'Why not seven?'"

Apart from his successful spell with Sussex, Mushtaq was also a top performer for Pakistan in international cricket. He played 52 Tests taking 185 wickets for his country and 161 wickets in 141 one-day internationals.