'Impressive' Ahmed raises Ashes hopes Operation Fawad: A complex process is under way to get Fawad Ahmed into the Ashes squad. As Operation Fawad entered its next phase, former chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said Australia's Ashes hopes would be boosted by the presence of a decent leg-spinner. Cricket executives and politicians are going to extraordinary lengths to parachute Fawad Ahmed into the Ashes squad - Thursday's introduction to parliament of a bill to change the citizenship laws was the first step in a complex process and there are still several hurdles to be cleared. Hohns, a former leggie and Ashes tourist who is now Queensland's state talent manager, was impressed with Ahmed when he grasped 16 wickets at 28 in three Sheffield Shield matches for Victoria after he was granted permanent residency last summer. But he cautioned that he had not yet seen enough of Ahmed to make a definitive judgment on whether he could re-open England's old wounds against leg-spin. I did see a bit of him on TV and in the flesh and certainly he was quite impressive, there can be no doubts about that. To have a leg-spinner in an Ashes squad is pretty important, even though Nathan Lyon is the No.1 spinner at the moment," Hohns said. No one seems to know what the wickets are like in England. Everyone is talking about Graeme Swann and his ability on dry pitches and a lot will depend whether the summer is dry as well. To have that option of someone going away from the bat would be pretty useful, whether it's him or someone else. Australia hasn't won an Ashes series without a leg-spinner since 1990-91, the series before Shane Warne's memorable England debut. Warne dominated the English batsmen throughout his career but Hohns suspects they have since had greater exposure to wrist spinners in county cricket. It's not just a matter of having a leg spinner, it's got to be quality leg spin. You can bowl leg spin all day long but if it's not quality they're still good enough to hit you for four. Does Ahmed fit the bill? From what I've seen in a short period of time, yes, but I'd reserve my judgment. Ahmed's first-class career in Pakistan spanned 10 games and 23 wickets. He applied for asylum after travelling to Australia in 2010 on a short-stay visa, for which he was sponsored by the Yoogali Cricket Association. His initial refugee claim was rejected, but the decision was overturned through ministerial intervention. Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor said in parliament on Thursday that cricket would be added to the list of sports covered by the Citizenship Act. The amendments would give the Minister discretionary powers to fast-track the citizenship claims of people whose work benefits Australia but cannot meet existing residency requirements. Ahmed would otherwise become eligible under International Cricket Council rules just before the fifth Test. "The new instrument will include international cricket competitions as a specified activity and adds Cricket Australia to the list of organisations that may support an application," O'Connor said. The bill is set to be debated next week but that does not assure Ahmed, 31, an Ashes berth. The changes also have to pass through the Senate, which next sits from June 17-20. Cricket Australia had planned for him to be in England for Australia A's final tour game against Gloucestershire from June 21, well ahead of the first Test at Trent Bridge from July 10. Lyon is the sole spinner in the 16-man squad, but John Inverarity has made no secret of his willingness to add Ahmed or, if the legislation is held up, teenager Ashton Agar. Agar, the lanky left-arm orthodox spinner, took 22 wickets at 29 in six matches for Western Australia last summer, and is also in England on a development tour.