Strikers' leg-spin 'bromance' in full bloom

"Hoggy was 46 when he retired," veteran spinner Fawad Ahmed quips when the topic of his playing future is raised.

Leg-spinner Fawad, who turns 40 years old in February next year, has just debuted for his fourth KFC BBL club but has vowed he will play on as long as his form allows him.

It was a tougher road back to the BBL this summer than usual for the Pakistan-born Victorian spinner whose contract was not renewed by the Perth Scorchers after they chose to go with his younger former club teammate Peter Hatzoglou.

He also missed the first two games of the season with a minor side strain, which was the first time the 39-year-old had missed a Big Bash game since BBL|04 when he was playing for the Melbourne Renegades.

But despite the turbulent off-season – which also involved several stints in hotel quarantine to play in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL) – the Adelaide Strikers could be the club Fawad is most excited to join as he teams up with leg-spinning sensation Rashid Khan.

And although he is in the twilight of his career, Fawad says he is still eager to learn from the 23-year-old Afghanistan superstar.

"It's more exciting bowling with him in nets rather than in the game," he told cricket.com.au.

"Rashid is one of the best in the world so I definitely love to train with him and love to play with him.

"It's about all the learning curves and I still want to learn maybe a few tricks from him, how he generates that amazing pace and how he's so good with the accuracy of his wrong-uns."

Fawad says he's "not bad" with his control and his varieties but Rashid is the best in the world so he was keen to absorb as much as he can in their first time playing together.

"I always just faced him or watched him, never played with him so … I'm going to go and just stand behind and see what he does and why he's so good," he says.

"It's going to be good to learn from the master when I'm next to him and he might explain a few things when I have doubts.

"I get along with him really nicely, I've known him for a long time now, so we have a good bond together.

"Hopefully we make a bromance together and perform well for the Strikers and hopefully bring the trophy home."

No doubt Strikers coach Jason Gillespie will be licking his lips at the prospect of the leg-spinning duo bowling in tandem.

Fawad has an outstanding BBL economy rate of 7.10 and sits equal 11th on the all-time leading wickets-takers tally with 75 from 83 matches, while Rashid also has a phenomenal Big Bash record.

In 53 games for the Strikers, he has conceded just 6.51 runs per over and taken a remarkable 75 wickets as well.

"It's always great to have the kind of spinners like Fawad in the team," Rashid says.

"That takes a bit of pressure from me as well as a spinner but he is a quality bowler, he's done really well in the Big Bash whoever he's played for."

After fearing his career in Australia might be over, Fawad landed a one-year deal with the Strikers in October and aims to play on if his form and fitness allows him.

"Brad Hogg played when he was 46, Brad Hodge, he was 43, but let's see," Fawad says.

"I'm not going to just play for the sake of playing, as (long) as I'm performing well, body is good, fitness is very important.

"With the COVID thing travelling is pretty tough as well so I don't know what's going to happen.

"It's not easy … I flew to the CPL through four or five different countries, like 64-hour flight, and then you quarantine and then you go and play straight (from the hotel room) so that's what makes it really, really hard."

Fawad joins the Strikers hoping to add to his one previous BBL title with the Sydney Thunder in 2015-16 and came into BBL|11 with 10 wickets under his belt at 6.50 in three Victorian Premier Cricket matches for Melbourne University.

He also performed well in the CPL in August and September with 11 wickets at an economy rate of 6.52, which included taking 2-32 in the final to help the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots lift the trophy.

"It's coming out really nicely actually, I was enjoying my bowling over there (in Victoria)," Fawad says.

"I know it's club cricket, you get a little bit more respect but still you have to bowl well (and) came here to Strikers with a really good mindset."

Sign up for BKT Big Bash Tipping this season at tipping.cricket.com.au! Go for the major prize or join a league and take on your friends, family and colleagues.