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Mushtaq Ahmed
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Confirmation is expected on Monday that Mushtaq Ahmed,
the former Pakistan legspinner, has been the latest of England's
backroom staff to lose their job in the Peter Moores reshuffle but David
Saker, the fast bowling coach, will continue with his current deal
under the new set-up.
Mushtaq was recruited by Moores in 2008, during his previous spell as
England coach, after the pair had been together at Sussex when they won
their first Championship title in 2003.
Mushtaq was involved in an era where Graeme Swann became one of
England's greatest ever spinners, but he leaves with English spin
bowling in one of its leanest patches with the strong possibility that
they will not field a frontline spinner against Sri Lanka next month.
The decision, originally reported in the Guardian, will not come
as a complete surprise for Mushtaq who has recently applied for a
position with the Pakistan team which is also now under a returning head
coach in Waqar Younis. It is understood he is in competition with
Saqlain Mushtaq for the spin coach role.
Moores is keen to reduce the number of specialist coaches who are
involved with England on match days so it is unlikely that Mushtaq will
be directly replaced. Instead Peter Such, who looks after the spin
programme at the academy in Loughborough, is expected to fill the role
when required.
Mushtaq joins Graham Gooch, the former batting coach, and Richard
Halsall, the fielding coach, in not retaining their roles under what is
becoming an extensive restructuring exercise.
Saker, however, will be remain and will work with the young quick
bowlers selected to play alongside the senior pair of James Anderson and
Stuart Broad.
England's decision to take an attack full of tall quicks to Australia,
and their subsequent failings, raised questions about Saker's role
especially after the dramatic loss of form by Steven Finn. However, he
can rightly point to the development of Anderson and Broad under his
guidance, plus England's sustained period of success from 2009-2013, as
factors in his favour. Last October he signed a contract that took him
up to September 2015, which includes the next Ashes series.
England's backroom staff is gradually taking shape ahead of the start of
Sri Lanka's visit which begins with a T20 later this month. Gooch's
replacement is yet to be confirmed - Graham Thorpe and Mark Ramprakash
remain favourites - while the future of Bruce French, the wicketkeeping
coach, is still to be rubber stamped. With Moores and Paul Frabrace in
position it is unlikely England will need a regular keeping specialist
with the national side.
With inputs from Umar Farooq in Pakistan
Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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