He's currently playing with the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, but although he's played for Australia at both T-20 and One Day level, he's yet to win a starting spot on the test team.
His Muslim faith is at the center of everything he does and it's underpinned Fawad Ahmed's cricket career in Australia. At 35 years old Ahmed is a late bloomer. But although he hasn't given up on winning a place on Australia's test team, he admits it's looking increasingly unlikely. The life of any professional cricketer is busy with training, travel and media requirements just three of the time-consuming commitments of the job. But when you need to pray five times a day as well it can produce more challenges.
When Ahmed was called into the Ashes squad to tour England four years ago, he won an exemption from wearing alcohol sponsorship on his team uniform because of his faith. He says being a Muslim in Australia has its challenges. He arrived in Australia in 2010 to escape persecution in Pakistan and became an Australian citizen three years later. He's made the most of the opportunities that have come his way, and says it probably wouldn't have been possible back in Pakistan.
One thing he never does is take his good fortune for granted. Ahmed explains why. And his Sydney Thunder teammates will be hoping Ahmed can keep his strong form going and help the team to win back-to-back Big Bash titles.
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