Spinners to decide fate of England-Pakistan series

London (ANI): Former Pakistani leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed has predicted a tough competition between spinners of England and Pakistan when the two teams meet for an upcoming series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The two sides play three tests and a one-day and Twenty20 series, which is taking place outside of Pakistan due to security concerns.

Mushtaq, who is a spin bowling consultant with England, has already been given a fresh two-year contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

He will join the England team in the United Arab Emirates on January 4, 2012 as they prepare for a test and one-day series against Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, The Mirror reports.

“England has been preparing hard for this series and I have tried to convince them that they must learn to depend on spin if they want to win in the Asian region,” Ahmed told a news agency.

“I see this series as a big challenge for the English and Pakistani spinners and there is going to be tough competition between Swann (Graeme) and (Saeed) Ajmal, who are the best off-spinners in the business today,” he said.

“It will depend on what sort of pitches are prepared for the series but I sense they will give assistance to the slow bowlers. But Swann and Ajmal are bowlers of a quality who can trouble anyone, even on even tracks. Swann has been brilliant for England in the last two years,” he added.

Ahmed, who played 52 tests and 144 one-day internationals, said he enjoyed working with the English cricket set-up as they had a very disciplined system.