Khan to the rescue?

The start made to Test cricket yesterday by England’s most recent pace bowling attempt Amjad Khan will have provided fans with a touch of consternation. Five no-balls, including three in his opening over, indicated a nervous start and Khan conceded 27 off his four overs in the fading Trinidad light. It was almost as if the man he has edged ahead of, Steve Harmison, had given Khan that same advice that Harmison himself was given on that fateful Brisbane morning in 2006.

What a relief, then, for England fans the next morning. Soon after Stuart Broad had removed night-watchman Daren Powell for a duck, Khan was brought on and picked up the prized wicket of West Indian run machine Ramnaresh Sarwan, bowling fast, full and, most importantly, straight. Not only were the nerves of yesterday evening gone, he had also removed Sarwan, a man who has not just been a thorn in England’s side but rather sticking right the way through them as he plundered run after run after run.

Khan’s spell this morning had all the verve and potential that England have desperately needed this series. The pitches have been slow, about as slow as a Brendan Nash over, and wickets have been hard to come by. Now I don’t assume at all that Khan is the sole answer to England winning this Test but his style of bowling is probably just what they need on these types of surfaces. There is also the possibility of reverse swing, which will have bowling experts licking their lips. Reverse swing - that key component that England have sought after ever since Simon Jones brutally harassed the Australians in 2005. Khan has also slipped in a few excellent short balls; fast, well directed and with just about enough controlled aggression to trouble the West Indians.

It’s still early on this third day but the wicket of Sarwan will have boosted England and they will be growing ever so slightly in confidence as a result. A long way to go still, but Khan may be on the correct path to helping bring England level in this series.

(The Corridor, 2009)