Saqib Mahmood is England’s test case in cricket’s battle with never-ending schedule

Saqib Mahmood is a case study in how England cricketers grapple with the relentless schedule. A sport broken by 15 years of lax administration is driving players – especially fast bowlers with Mahmood’s injury record – to make unpalatable choices.

Two years ago, during England’s grim Test tour of the Caribbean, Mahmood hinted at his capacity to break open games on docile pitches, taking six wickets at 22.8 in two encouraging matches. Back in the West Indies this autumn, Mahmood’s six wickets for 54 runs in two games have shown his T20 qualities. His combination of pace of around 85mph, a slingy action, seam movement and increasingly swing too, should translate to every format. The question is whether the schedule allows them to.

After two years marred by stress fractures, 27-year-old Mahmood has signed a white-ball only contract with Lancashire. It is a wholly understandable decision. In 2023, while attempting to force his way into the England Ashes squad, Mahmood was injured playing in the County Championship. Last year, he played two championship games in the early season. But after an intensive period of T20, Mahmood feared that returning to the long workloads in the first-class game would risk another injury.

“I think with this contract I will still play red-ball cricket,” Mahmood explained. “If my body doesn’t feel up to it, I won’t.

“I hope by the time the summer comes I’ve had a good winter and my body feels good to play red-ball cricket and I can play a few games. That’s what I’m hoping. But if there is a scenario where I feel nervous about it, it just means I’m not taking money to play something I’m not playing.”

While he could still feature in some first-class cricket on a pay-as-you-play basis should his body hold up, the sense is that Mahmood is moving towards being a white-ball specialist. He has not entered the Indian Premier League auction, and says that he is yet to decide about whether to take part in the Pakistan Super League, which will be played in April next year.

The King of Barbados

In England’s squad, Mahmood has earned the nickname the ‘King of Barbados’, reflecting his relish for being on the island. Mahmood put this love to good use before the white-ball tour, spending 10 days on the island honing his game with Chris Jordan, who represented England as recently as June.

“With some of the tours in the past, I found I can be a bit of a slow starter,” Mahmood explained. “I made the decision to come out early and I phoned CJ [Chris Jordan] and he came out a few days after I got here so there was a bit of work that needed doing.

“The best thing was instead of just coming in and having a bowl was the attention to detail we had in training sessions to how some of the guys would bat. We’d imagine I was bowling at [Nicholas] Pooran or someone.

“The way we were working, it was like a player-coach relationship. He’s obviously got his own cricket to get ready for but the days I was bowling, he didn’t bowl. We’d talk about release points and all of these things.”

A slower ball up his sleeve

Mahmood hopes to continue working with Jordan, who he hopes will become a full-time coach when he retires. The two are already focused on giving Mahmood one of Jordan’s most valued tricks: a slower ball. Mahmood has yet to bowl one this series, but will finesse the delivery ahead of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

“I spoke to him about a slower ball before I even flew out that I wanted to work on which is just a bit of a point of difference. But that’s still a work in progress.

“I haven’t got it yet. It’s something I didn’t expect to get straight away. It’s something I’m going to keep working at and it’s something I really want to add to my skillset.”

The sessions with Jordan reflect Mahmood’s determination to enjoy a fulfilling next stage of his career. Already, his place in England’s rebooted white-ball side seems clear: attacking with new ball, and then using his yorkers – and perhaps that new slower ball – to close out the innings at the death.

To some, there will be a tinge of regret if Mahmood does indeed follow the white-ball path. Yet it is far better for player and country alike that Mahmood establishes himself with either the white ball or the red than strives to do both and suffers an injury relapse. Whatever the colour of the ball, the sight of Mahmood back in international cricket and nearing his best should give the English game cause for cheer.