Legspinner Fawad Ahmed's path to the Australia cricket squad for the Ashes series could be cleared as early as next week.
The government has introduced legislation that enables them to fast-track citizenship in special cases.
Pakistan-born Ahmed arrived in Australia in 2010 before claiming asylum as a refugee on the grounds that he had been subject to death threats from Islamic extremists for being involved with an NGO promoting women's rights.
The bill's expected to go to the vote next week, clearing the way for Ahmed to get his new passport in time for the first Ashes test in Nottingham on July 10th.
