The potential answer to England's Ashes woes is preparing for his first Sydney Smash on Boxing Day, almost 900km removed from the MCG where Australia is poised to retain the precious urn.
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Sydney Thunder speedster Saqib Mahmood has become the talk of the Big Bash after his scintillating debut on Sunday where he snared a record four Brisbane Heat wickets in 11 balls through his first two overs.
At the same time over in Adelaide his English compatriots were enduring another Ashes hiding, in desperate need of a paceman capable of rattling the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.
Mahmood missed the Thunder's first three matches this summer while helping England prepare for the Ashes, before he was released from international duty to begin his Big Bash career which continues in western Sydney against the Sixers on Boxing Day.
English selectors are yet to hit the emergency redial button and rush the 24-year-old back into the Ashes fray.
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"I'm preparing to play here at the Showground on Sunday," Mahmood said.
"I'm really looking forward to it, it'll be my first game in front of the home crowd, [we had] a nice little training session today, [we have] another one on Christmas eve.
"Local rivalry is awesome, I'm sure it'll have that little bit of an edge to it. It's got the make up to be a great game, we're on the back of a good win as well, both sides are in decent nick at the moment."
Mahmood's fiery spell on Sunday led the Thunder to a 53-run demolition of the Heat, and the margin would've been even heavier were it not for Mark Steketee and Xavier Bartlett's rearguard action.
Canberra fans will have a chance to witness Mahmood's trickery first hand on Tuesday if he's not brought into the England fold, when the Thunder host the Perth Scorchers at Manuka Oval.
"When you're pitching the ball up like that it's a bit of a risk but at the same time you can get the rewards and I definitely got the rewards the other night," Mahmood said.
"I felt all right on the night. I spoke about trying to be brave. You can talk about doing all those things but I felt like I did it out there.
"The first ball went for four but I still kept that ball pitched up to Chris Lynn and carried that out throughout the whole Powerplay, I tried to give the ball the best chance to move."
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
