Ajmal Shahzad - Last of England's Asian new wave?

It was sad to read today that Yorkshire have suddenly agreed to release Ajmal Shahzad from his contract. I don't know what prompted the fast bowler to request such a move but he has been through some tough times since making his international debut two years ago against Bangladesh. There have been severe injuries, a fine for deliberately scuffing the pitch last September and a reputation for being a bit of a trouble-maker. I can't say whether that is truly justified but it does seem a strange decision so soon after apparently welcoming the arrival at the county of bowling coach Jason Gillespie. At only 26, with one Test and 11 ODIs to his name, there is time to rebuild his career and maybe return to the top table once again. However, there have been many young cricketers with an Asian heritage who have risen to the top only to falter and fall. After having to battle racism for so many years several players in the last decade, most born in England, shone in the county game to earn an opportunity for their national side. Vikram Solanki, though born in Pakistan, played more than 50 ODIs for England in the early 'noughties' without really playing to his free-flowing potential. In 2003, Kabir Ali burst onto the scene, taking five Test wickets on his debut against South Africa. That proved to be his last Test, too, and has made only fitful appearances for Hampshire in the past few years due to injury. Then in 2006 and 2007, the floodgates opened and England seemed blessed with a number of promising young Asian players. Owais Shah, another man born in Pakistan, played 71 one-dayers and six Tests before slipping out of contention and becoming more a T20 specialist, one of the few England players commanding respect and the occasional appearance in the IPL. Two bowlers also made their debuts in 2006. Sajid Mahmood (Bolton) and Monty Panesar (Bedford) took wickets galore for Lancashire and Northants respectively and when injuries struck the Ashes-winning quartet hey got their chance. Saj still strides purposefully in for his side with little chance of an international recall but Monty to his credit has once again warmed the selectors' and fans' cockles, even if his batting and fielding will surely preclude his playing in T20 matches. One-day games require more all-round options, and these are often provided by Leicester's Samit Patel and Londoner Ravi Bopara, who debuted in 2008 and 2007, respectively. If you include Shahzad, Yorkshire currently boast five squad players with Asian ethnicity. One of them is Adil Rashid, someoneI have often championed in this blog. As a teenager he seemed such an exciting prospect, a leg-spinner who could score centuries. It took a few more years before he finally got his chance in ODIs and T20Is but he blew his chance on the big stage and has disappointed somewhat since. I hope he soon rediscovers his zest and form because there aren't many leg-spinning all-rounders in the English game. Amjad Khan made his single Test appearance in Trinidad three years ago, received a bit of a pasting from the Windies batsmen, and has retreated to the shadows, although he remains an able performer for Sussex. At least he can say he is the only Danish international to also play for England! All the above would make a useful international XI - if only there had been a wicketkeeper to join them! So are there any others likely to follow Shahzad and co into the England team in the foreseeable future? True, there are few vacancies at the moment but, as in 2006-7, injuries could leave the door open. A sudden Compton-esque shower of runs could assist the likes of Arul Suppiah (born in Malaysia but Somerset-educated), Virun Chopra or Moeen Ali, who had a great season for Worcestershire last year. Jigar Naik is a promising off-spinner/batsman for Leicestershire, and Naqaash Tahir is hoping his move to Lancashire will boost his chances of getting noticed. The announcement today of a longer qualification period for over-18s seeking to play for England will probably have little effect on Asian players who may have been tempted to try their luck over here. On the other hand, the passion for cricket in areas of strong Asian communities such as West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Birmingham and Leicester will hopefully generate future stars from these communities