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Ahmed, Voges called up for Windies, Ashes tour

Pakistan-born leg-spinner’s stellar domestic season pays off

Afp March 31, 2015

DESERVING: Ahmed’s exploits in the Sheffield Shield, including record-breaking figures of 8-89 in the first-class competition’s final, earned him a place in the Ashes squad. PHOTO: AFP

SYDNEY: Leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed, batsman Adam Voges and wicketkeeper Peter Nevill were all called up by Australia Tuesday for their upcoming tour of the West Indies and the Ashes campaign in England.

But there was no room in the 17-man squad for all-rounders James Faulkner and Glenn Maxwell, who were a potent part of Australia's one-day World Cup winning side.

Joe Burns was also overlooked, despite scoring two half-centuries in Australia's last Test, against India in January, while paceman James Pattinson missed out with a hamstring injury, opening the door once again for Peter Siddle.

Australia play two Tests in the West Indies from June 5, with their five-Test Ashes series starting in England on July 8.

Pakistan-born Ahmed, who sought asylum in Australia in 2010, got the nod ahead of Ashton Agar as the second spinner behind Nathan Lyon after a stellar Sheffield Shield season in which he took 48 wickets.

"It's been an amazing 2015 for me," said Ahmed, 33, who was granted citizenship in 2013 and played three ODIs and two T20Is during Australia's tour of England and Scotland later that year. "I've bowled with a big heart and a big chest in every situation."

Voges won his place on the plane for similar reasons, with the 35-year-old Western Australian captain smashing 1,358 Shield runs to be the season's highest scorer and player of the year with an average of 104.46.

New South Wales keeper Nevill was picked as Brad Haddin's understudy, preferred to Matthew Wade.

Fast-bowler Ryan Harris was included in the squad, but will only play the Ashes series, remaining in Australia throughout the West Indies tour for the birth of his first child.

While Faulkner and Maxwell missed out, national selector Rod Marsh cast an air of mystery over his plans for them. "We've got hopeful plans that I can't reveal right now for Faulkner. He'll be right," he told reporters, adding of Maxwell, "It's a tragedy we can't play him in every game at the moment. But watch this space."

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