Pak vs Eng – Rehan Ahmed recalled when England prepared for a ‘cheap’ game against Pakistan

Admin October 22, 2024

0 0 3 minutes read

Pak vs Eng – Rehan Ahmed recalled when England prepared for a ‘cheap’ game against Pakistan

England will face a three-pronged attack at a Rawalpindi pitch which Harry Brook believes has been “abused” by the local staff trying to contain Pakistan’s spinners. Rehan Ahmed is back and will play alongside Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach, with Gus Atkinson also coming into the squad where both Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts have missed out.

Rehan played three Tests for India earlier this year but has not played in England in any form since February. But England believe they will need him as a third-choice forward this week, when Pakistan try to shut down the field in Rawalpindi after their 152-run victory in a recycled line-up in Multan.

“They took the racquets, fans and heaters out of the field,” said Brook. “Everybody goes and looks at the wicket and says something different… Hopefully, it’s like any other ground in Pakistan. It’s good to bat in the first few days and then hopefully, we can get a chance to get it out at the end of the game.”

“I think the circumstances will be a little different,” Brook said. “We played at a very low level here last time. It was good to hit, and we got a good level of knots. This game will be a little different. It might open early: who knows? It might be a game with a good tone to start with and we go to the flyer.”

The green square in Rawalpindi may have informed England’s selection, and the unlikely reverse was a big deal this week. In Multan, the strips on both sides of the Test pitch were cut and dry and it bit in the second Test, enabling England’s seamers to reverse the old ball. This week, there are only three threads cut in the scene: Voice Audition and two practice sessions.

Brook made 9 and 16 out of Pakistan’s spinners in the second Test, and predicted Sajid Khan and Noman Ali would play a “big role” in Rawalpindi. “I’ve talked to a few guys about game plans and how we’re going to do it,” he said. “Hopefully, it pays off and I play a big role in the game.”

It was in Pakistan two years ago that Rehan made his international debut at the age of 18, taking 5 for 48 in the second innings in Karachi to set England up for an eight-wicket, 3-0 clean sweep. His progress has not been smooth since and he was expensive in India earlier this year, taking 11 wickets at 44.00 in three matches and conceding more than four runs per over.

This summer, Rehan succeeded his younger brother Farhan in the County Championship and his return fell to white-ball cricket: he was dropped by the Southern Brave in the first Hundred after two costly dismissals, then he was left out of England’s T20Is. and ODI squads against Australia in September.

But England have always been a long-term favourite: Rehan was famous for bowling at the age of 11 and has been in the national team throughout his professional career, starting with the Under-19s. He is entering the second year of a two-year midterm contract, and has also worked on his batting this summer, with fifties in four Championships, and will strengthen England’s lower order from No.9.

Carse and Potts are both officially rested, Atkinson is back after taking match figures of 4 for 145 in England’s winning innings in the first Test. Carse has been England’s best bowler on the tour, taking nine wickets at 24.33 in his first two matches, but has bowled 67 overs in the series and has played back-to-back Tests.

England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Rehan Ahmed, 10 Jack Leach, 11 Shoaib Bashir.

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Admin October 22, 2024

0 0 3 minutes read