Saqib Mahmood celebrates the wicket of West Indies’ Veerasammy Permaul
(Picture: AP)England’s Saqib Mahmood said he felt like a “criminal” when denied his maiden Test wicket by a no-ball, and expressed relief and delight at taking a legal scalp a day later.
Mahmood bowled West Indies’ Jermaine Blackwood on the third afternoon of the second Test in Barbados, but the wicket was chalked off for a front-foot no-ball, with Blackwood eventually dismissed for 102.
The following day, Mahmood picked up the wickets of Jason Holder, caught at mid-on by Matt Fisher, and Veerasammy Permaul lbw as England took a 96-run lead into the second innings of a match which is unlikely to see a result.
“I’m relieved more than anything,” said Mahmood. “I’m glad it came, I felt like criminal No1, the biggest criminal out here last night. When I got that one today I had a little check to make sure there were no dramas or anything.
“I was pretty gutted [on day three] but tried not to let it affect me. Rooty spoke to me and said, 'you bowled great, don't let it affect you', Stokesy said he did the same for his first wicket. I was just concentrating on the task ahead more than anything. Glad we got him out last night because every run he scored made me feel horrible.”
Mahmood admitted to being nervous as Fisher stood under a swirling catch for his maiden wicket, and checking with the umpire to make sure it was not a no-ball.
“It felt like that ball was in the air forever,” he said. “I had a bit of a blind spot so I wasn't sure if he'd caught it or not. As soon as he did the first thing I did was look at the umpire just to make sure. Great catch and a relief more than anything.”
Mahmood said England are prepared to push for a result on the final day and that, despite spending 187.5 overs in the field, he was keen for more bowling.
“It would be amazing [to force a win],” he said. “I’ve got my head around putting the bowling boots back on tomorrow, trying to take 10 wickets. As a bowling group and me personally, if we can do that tomorrow we'll have forgot about all that hard graft in the first innings because it would mean a hell of a lot for all of us.
“Running through a team on that wicket? No. But pressure can do funny things to people. If we put balls in right areas, there were a few that misbehaved today. It's just a case of having that more often. If we do get a chance to put some pressure on, you never know what can happen.”
Mahmood went as far as to say he revelled in the graft.
“This is the kind of day you play for, when there's nothing going on and it's hard work for bowlers,” he said. “You want to be the guy the captain throws the ball to, to break partnerships and take wickets.
“That's the stuff I get satisfaction from. On green seamers every seamer feels in the game but on ones like this I really want to be a guy who can stand up and break a partnership. It's been hard work, but that’s why we play the game.”
