Muslim cricket star's anti-terror video message (with no spin)
For years Mushtaq Ahmed terrified English batsmen with his spin, guile and flight.
Now the legendary Pakistani cricketer is backing a campaign to promote British values as the UK authorities seek to prevent a terror attack on the 2012 London Olympics.
Muslim Ahmed is a role model to many young Pakistani men and is seen as being able to reach people in both Britain and his home country who may be at risk of being radicalised.
"Nobody is disrespecting each other's culture or religion here," he says in a new YouTube video for the Foreign Office. "The most important thing in Britain is people let you do what you want to do."
The 5ft 4in bowler, born in the Punjab and now 40, also revealed how his former team-mates used to try to help him observe his religion.
"I remember while I was playing professional cricket for Somerset my teammates used to tell me it's your prayer time, should we stop at some motorway services so we can have a coffee and you can have your prayers," he said. "If you have that kind of people around you, and the culture, I don't think people have any problem. English people are very open-hearted, you know they can accept your thing."
Ahmed, known in cricket circles as "Mushy" and famous for his googly, was appointed spin coach to the England cricket team in 2008.
He tells in the YouTube clip how his faith strengthened during his international career after another former Pakistan cricketer advised him to do this to find peace.
In his message to young Muslim men, he adds: "Please, we're living in a country, England, we're praying five times, there's mosques. The freedom is there."
Leg spinner Ahmed, who took 185 wickets in 52 tests, played for Sussex, Surrey and Somerset on the county circuit.
The Foreign Office released the video today, with fewer than 500 days to go until the 2012 Games. It is one of a series produced to highlight the UK's tolerant multi-faith society.
Other celebrities who have recorded messages include paralympic gold medallist Tanni Grey-Thompson, Camila Batmanghelidjh, who founded the Kids Company, and newsreader Zeinab Badawi.
