I'm happy here - Mahmood

Sajid Mahmood insists he wants to remain in Australia with the England squad © Getty Images

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England’s out-of-favour paceman Sajid Mahmood has dismissed suggestions he wants to quit the tour of Australia.

Lancashire fast bowler Mahmood began the winter as England’s one-day wildcard, highlighting his raw talent by snaring Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting cheaply in the ICC Champions Trophy.

But he struggled to perform during his limited opportunities during the Ashes series, and is yet to play in the Commonwealth Bank Series.

To make matters worse, Mahmood’s famous sporting relation, boxer Amir Khan, has been quoted as saying his cousin would rather be at home in Bolton.

But Mahmood insisted: “It sounds to me like Amir has definitely got the wrong end of the stick.

“I have briefly spoken to him about how tough this tour is because it has been a strong test for everyone involved.

“But I have also spoken about how great an experience this tour has been and how much I have enjoyed myself.

“Australia is one of the best, if not the best, tours a cricketer can undertake and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“The results in the Test series didn’t go our way but I’m coming to enjoy every stage of the tour and looking forward to us bouncing back in this one-day series before the World Cup.”