Fawad Ahmed quietly rebuilding his Test credentials Fawad Ahmed last year fluffed his biggest auditions for a Test berth. But those poor performances have proven to be the exception, rather than the rule, regarding his red-ball credentials. Once the leg-spinner's Australian citizenship, and with it his international eligibility, was confirmed in June last year so was his addition to the Australia A squad for the pre-Ashes series in Britain. The two first-class matches were an opportunity to cement himself alongside Nathan Lyon in Australia's Test squad. By the end of them he was on a plane back to Australia with his place taken by an as-then-unknown teenage spinner, Ashton Agar. In the first match, against Ireland, his return was 0-40 from 11 overs and 1-25 from six overs. In the second match, against Gloucestershire, he notched 1-20 from 9.2 overs and, most damagingly, 0-80 from 22 overs. Ahmed's then slim hopes of a call-up later in the series were extinguished by an Australia A tour to southern Africa. His return of 17 wickets at 36.11 was not disastrous but they came with an economy rate of 4.81 runs per over, a sign that he was, like he was in Britain, struggling to contain scoring. After Ahmed started last season with a six-wicket Sheffield Shield haul against Western Australia, his acid test was game two against a full-strength NSW team. His first spell lasted only two overs after David Warner and Michael Clarke each belted him for two boundaries. The rest of the innings was little better for him, finishing with 1-91 from 21 overs. Chief selector John Inverarity missed the first two days of the match. The only time he saw Ahmed was when he conceded 0-23 from three overs in the second innings. His Test rival Lyon snared only three wickets for the match but was much more economical, conceding 2.6 runs an over from his 64.2 overs compared to Ahmed's 4.75 from 24. Three days later Lyon was named in the squad for the first Ashes Test and retained his position for the summer. Ahmed's record before the NSW match from four matches was 22 wickets at 26.09 and 3.19 runs per over. His shield record since that NSW match, including the first innings of Victoria's match away to Tasmania, from five matches is 25 wickets at 25.8 and 3.28 runs per over. Looking back on last season, Ahmed was pleased with how he bowled - with the clear exception of the NSW match, which he conceded was "the worst" he bowled for the entire season. They [Warner, Clarke, Steve Smith] really went after me. I struggled in that game," he said on the eve of this season. Ahmed also admitted he had "wasted" his opportunity with Australia A before the Ashes series in England - "but everything happens for a reason." The 32-year-old spent the winter playing club cricket in Holland. He reckoned he has returned to Australia having regained his consistency, and with an improved ability to cope with batsmen trying to hit him out of the attack. In round one of the shield he claimed 3-102 from 29 overs and 3-49 from 27 against the Blues. In Hobart he was, with three wickets, at the heart of a comeback from the Bushrangers in which they claimed 5-18 against the home team. So far this year Ahmed has not dazzled like he did in taking 2-79 and 5-83 in his debut shield match in February 2013, after which respected Queensland stalwart James Hopes described him as "the best wrist-spinner in the competition" and predicted he would "comfortably" compete at international level. What has been clear, however, is Ahmed is no longer bowling bad deliveries every few overs, in line with his off-season ambition to rely more on his stock leg-spinner. He also expected to be helped by a decline in the level of attention on him, which was increased by him having been a refugee. There were other pressures, [such as] to play for Australia, but this year I'm feeling really confident. I just want to [make my focus to] play for Victoria and justify my selection. If I perform well, Australia will come. There's a good structure here, a good system. If you're performing well [you will get noticed]," Ahmed said. There's always a chance for a wrist spinner to play for their country, so I'm still hoping. WIth nine wickets in Ahmed's first one-and-a-half shield matches Ahmed has, despite the form of younger rivals Cameron Boyce (in limited-overs) and Adam Zampa, increased the possibility it could be third time lucky for him in regards to Test selection. AHMED OVER HIS BOWLING BLUES The Sheffield Shield record of Fawad Ahmed excluding his poor performance against full-strength NSW last season. Before the NSW match: 4 matches, 22 wickets at 26.09, 3.19 runs per over. In the NSW match: 1m, 1w at 124, 5.17rpo. Since the NSW match: 5m*, 25w at 25.8, 3.28rpo. = After first innings of round-three Tasmania-Victoria match.