His skills with the cherry might not match tear-away speedster Shoaib Akthar or wily spinner Muttahiah Muralitharan [Images], but he definitely can give them a run for their money with his facial expressions.

Bush, who ahead of his visit to India [Images] and Pakistan had said he was a "cricket person", tried his hand with the willow in Pakistan.

• Also See: The Bush Visit

Armed with tips from Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shaharyar Khan and captain Inzamam-ul-Huq, the president faced three balls and also rolled his arm over at the US embassy lawns on Saturday afternoon.

Only, to Pakistan's ill luck, cricket diplomacy failed to work with President Bush as it had with India.

Bush rejected Pakistan's demand for a nuclear deal similar to the one he inked with India, saying the two countries were "different and had different histories".

Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images