Turn for the better: Fawad Ahmed. Credit:Anthony Johnson Ahmed was not singled out so much because he played cricket. Millions in Pakistan play cricket. It was more that he coached and, as a professional player, spent time in the off-season working for one of the many non-government organisations in Pakistan, and it was this that contravened the religious extremists' views. The organisation involved campaigned for education for girls, access to clean water and vaccinations for polio and hepatitis. ''We didn't play cricket the whole year and in third world countries or places where the government is not strong there are many organisations like that,'' he says. ''We were helping and I was happy to do that.'' But Ahmed felt that for the safety of his parents, two brothers and sister, he had to leave. He hid with a friend but soon faced a dilemma when he was recalled to his state team. He thought it would be safe to play as the games were far from home and people would always be around. ''But they saw news on the internet and newspapers and they approached me again on the telephone. They sent text messages. 'You are still playing cricket. Your aim is still there. If we find you we will harm you'. I had to stop and that was when I thought it is time to go out of the country.''

Ahmed has also rubbed shoulders with such famous faces as Prince Harry and Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Nearly four years later, at Kirribilli House recently, 48 hours before a bomb killed two people at a polio vaccination site near his home town, Ahmed socialised with Prince Harry and Prime Minister Tony Abbott as a guest at the International Fleet Review. Abbott was the second prime minister he'd met, after Julia Gillard, whose government paved the way for him to represent Australia on the recent tour of Britain. Ahmed had already played last summer for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash, Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and one-day competitions and the Prime Minister's XI alongside Usman Khawaja, the first Muslim to play cricket for Australia. The timing of Ahmed's rise was no coincidence. He was a good cricketer, but his true talent was unlocked only once he was given permanent safety in Australia. He has heard the nasty comments, that Cricket Australia is using him as a marketing tool, that you have to bowl well to be granted asylum. There has even been some suggestions in cyberspace that he concocted his story to gain Australian citizenship. Fawad Ahmed in Twenty20 action for Australia. Credit:Reuters In truth, the process of attaining asylum ended with ministerial intervention when Ahmed was no more than a club cricketer, albeit one who had the potential to play at an elite level. It was a harrowing experience, which came extremely close to failing. When asked if being deported would have cost his life, Ahmed draws breath: ''I never give up. I would have found a way. I struggled for many years and I would have found a way, not to stay in Australia, but just to live my life, by any means.

''Every human being has gifts. Every human being has some really good qualities. For me it was maybe cricket and that helped me to meet people. But whatever it was, I would struggle to live my life and not give in.'' Things weren't always so complicated. Ahmed recalls a happy youth in the ruggedly beautiful Swabi district, near Peshawar in northern Pakistan. He studied international relations and political science, with particular interest in history, and got into cricket through his older brothers who played locally. After graduating, he gained a professional contract and had the world at his feet. However, everything changed after September 2001. ''It became much worse around 2005. Before that time there was never any suicide bombing, terrorism, no target killing, nothing. It was worst further north, in the tribal areas. But it started to cover the whole state and the whole country. They were getting stronger and stronger.'' After realising ''they'' were following him, a friend helped Ahmed gain a short-stay visa for Australia that is often used by English cricketers. He arrived to play for Yoogali in southern NSW late in season 2009-10. Ahmed soon applied for refugee status and, while the claim was considered, moved to Melbourne later in 2010 to join suburban side Hoppers Crossing. In his second season there he took 58 wickets at an average of 10.97 in 12 matches. He was released to play T20 games for grade club Melbourne University, did well there, too, and the coach wanted him to stay.

But Ahmed wanted to first tell club president Derek Bennett that his claim for asylum had failed and the Refugee Review Tribunal was considering his appeal. After looking into Ahmed's story, Bennett says, ''it was hard not to be sympathetic''. ''Like many people in his situation, he found himself one of these so-called migration agents, who don't have great legal training and he'd handed a fair bit of money to this bloke,'' he says. ''He was confident the appeal would be successful.'' Bennett was less optimistic. He told the club committee that if they signed up Ahmed they should ''go all-in with this guy''. They agreed, in what Bennett calls ''a sliding door moment''. ''I told Fawad I could make no promises, but we had some contacts who might be able to help, Bennett says. The support did not alleviate Ahmed's despair when word arrived the tribunal had dismissed the appeal. ''He was distraught, not because he loved living in Australia and wanted to stay, he thought that if he went back to Pakistan, he was going to die. He kept saying 'This isn't about cricket, this is about my life. These guys will find me'.'' Bennett called his old teammate James Sutherland, the boss of Cricket Australia. ''I said to James, 'We've got a player who's basically an asylum seeker because he's a cricketer. The Taliban targeted him because he was playing and coaching and working in the off-season promoting education for girls. I said to James that I thought the game owed this bloke. He agreed immediately.'' Sutherland had recently hired Grant Poulter as government and community relations manager and put him on the case. The former strategy adviser in the Prime Minister's Office discovered the Melbourne Uni crew had gathered impressive references, including one by former ICC president Malcolm Gray and Cricket Victoria chief Tony Dodemaide. In late August last year, they submitted a 42-page application to the then minister for immigration Chris Bowen. For the next 10 weeks Ahmed's fate hung in the balance.

''The worst moment of that period was when we went to the Immigration Department for what Fawad thought was just another procedural thing,'' Bennett recalls. ''The lady said, 'How much money have you got? Is your passport in order? You need to be ready to leave at 24 hours notice.' ''Fawad was really distressed. He was saying, 'We've asked the minister to re-assess', and she just said, 'the minister hardly ever overturns decisions and you've got to be ready to leave'. That whole time weighed very heavily on us. We lived and breathed it because Fawad was depending on us and there was so much to do. Asylum seekers is a very delicate subject in Australia. Fortunately for us, Fawad didn't arrive on a boat. Every step of the way he had a legitimate visa. But, what the experience taught me was just how difficult and random the whole process is. It comes down to who you get to review it because there's virtually no recourse.'' Bennett says he was later told by a legal contact the agent who reviewed Ahmed's case was notorious for never approving appeals. ''It was crazy because that contact looked at it and said he ticked every box - he's been persecuted, his life's been threatened, he's arrived here legitimately. It was an epic process. Anyway, Chris Bowen, to his credit, I believe, realised the decision was a poor one.'' In mid-November, Poulter received the magical call from Bowen's office. Ahmed would be granted permanent residency. ''I rang Derek because I wanted him to give Fawad the news,'' Poulter says. ''He had worked with Fawad on this right from the start.'' Ahmed was on the prayer mat at home when Bennett came to tell him the news. ''That was unbelievable,'' Ahmed says smiling broadly. ''I called my mum and she was so happy. She said, 'Thanks to God'. She was happy I could set up my life here. I think that time was better than the citizenship because it meant I could stay and be safe. Bad things had happened and they would happen again if I went back. Thanks to Derek and Grant, everything worked out. They really helped me. Thanks to God.''

Later that week, CA amended rules so Ahmed could be considered a local player for domestic cricket. He was signed by Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Renegades and made his debut against the Sixers at the SCG in January. He later played for Victoria. As a permanent resident, under ICC rules, Ahmed was eligible to represent Australia after spending at least 183 days in each of the previous four years in Australia. That date would have been August 18, unless CA could sponsor him to become a citizen earlier. Under the Citizenship Act, however, the only sporting organisations with that right were the Olympic and Paralympic committees and Tennis Australia. ''We thought cricket should be included,'' Poulter says. ''The government agreed, as did the opposition, and passed the amendment to the act through the House of Representatives in June, which then paved the way for Fawad to apply to be an Australian citizen. It was another huge moment.'' It meant CA could select Ahmed in the Australia A side to tour Britain. He played two matches, returned for his citizenship ceremony on July 10, played for Australia A on the tour of Africa and gained selection for Australia for the T20 and ODI series against England. Within 2½ months of becoming a citizen, he played five internationals for Australia. ''We couldn't be happier for him,'' Poulter says. ''He's a wonderful person and we'd do it all again.''