Sydney Thunder import Saqib Mahmood couldn’t have started his BBL career in finer fashion after claiming Man of The Match honours in his side’s win over the Brisbane Heat on Sunday night.
The final score would read Thunder 7/196 (Billings 64, J Sangha 39) def Heat 143 all out (Bartlett 42 not out, Mahmood 4/22, T Sangha 3/26), and it was without a doubt the Englishman who restricted the chasing side.
At one stage the 24-year-old had figures of 4/9, the best in the Thunder’s history, as he tore apart the Heat’s top order.
While he’d end up having 13 extra runs added to his tally after his fourth wicket, Mahmood was thrilled with his start in the competition.
“Obviously when you come to a new side you want to get off to a good start,” he said post-match.
“Last night I was obviously thinking about all the different scenarios to get a wicket early doors and just that first three-over spell it just all seemed to come together for me.
“The first couple of overs I felt my rhythm was really good, it came out nice and then that third over I might have just got a little bit ahead of myself.”
TWO wickets in his debut BBL over!! #BBL11 pic.twitter.com/eNQOXv5dE5
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 19, 2021
Mahmood joined the Thunder after touring with the English Lions squad, and the quick says he’s got one eye on potentially playing for his country in the T20 World Cup in Australia next summer.
“There's a (T20) World Cup here in 12 months' time, so if I can get used to the conditions out here it might stand me in good stead,” he said in his first club interview.
“I haven’t played any white ball cricket properly in Australia before, so I think it will be good for me to experience that.
“It's (the World Cup) a long way down the line and there's a lot of cricket to be played.
“My main focus here is on trying to do well with the Sydney Thunder to start with, and if I can do that, then the rest should take care of itself.”
Mahmood, who can reportedly hit speeds of up to 150km, could come under consideration for England’s T20 tour of the West Indies in January.