Saqlain Mushtaq agrees to sign with England as spin-bowling consultant

The former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, will help coach England during their upcoming home Test series against Pakistan.

An England team spokesman said the other day that it was planned for Mushtaq to join the side during the second game of the four-Test series at Manchester’s Old Trafford ground in July to aid England’s spinners and help home batsmen in their playing of slow bowling.

It’s possible that Mushtaq could become England’s new full-time spin-bowling coach, although he has not yet signed an agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

But the 39-year-old Mushtaq clearly believed the paperwork would be a formality given he tweeted Saturday: “Looking forward to working with @ECB_cricket prayers and wishes required.”

Looking forward to working with @ECB_cricket prayers and wishes required.

— Saqlain Mushtaq (@Saqlain_Mushtaq) May 28, 2016

Muhstaq took 208 wickets in 49 Tests from 1995 to 2004 and was regarded as a pioneer of the ‘doosra’ a ball bowled with a conventional off-break action that spins away rather than towards a right-handed batsman.

He also helped Surrey win several County Championship titles at the turn of the century.

Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, central to England’s spin stocks over the last two seasons, will have an opportunity to work with Saqlain, who has previously worked with spinners from West Indies and Bangladesh, apart from those in Pakistan. More recently, he was appointed by the Pakistan Cricket board (PCB) to help Saeed Ajmal remodel his action after he was banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for exceeding the prescribed 15-degree tolerance, in 2015.

England have been without a spin-bowling coach since Mushtaq Ahmed, another former Pakistan international, left his role in 2014. Mushtaq was recruited in 2008 and was involved in the era where Graeme Swann became one of England’s leading spinners.

Pakistan will tour England from June 18 for four Tests, five One day Internationals’ (ODI’s) and a one-off T20I. The first Test starts at Lord’s on July 14.