Rehan Ahmed is set to become England’s youngest EVER Test cricketer at the age of 18 years and 126 days in the series finale against Pakistan – but Ben Stokes insists fans should not be ‘carried away’ by the leg-spinner
- England will make Rehan Ahmed their youngest Test cricketer on Friday
- They are looking for a whitewash in the third and final match against Pakistan
- Ahmed, at 18 years and 126 days, will beat the record set by Brian Close
England will make Rehan Ahmed their youngest Test cricketer on Friday as they look for a whitewash in the third and final match against Pakistan in Karachi.
Leicestershire leg-spinner Ahmed, at 18 years and 126 days, will beat the record set by Brian Close in 1949 by 23 days. Ahmed only made his first-class debut in May and played just three matches for his county.
‘He just loves cricket,’ said England captain Ben Stokes. ‘I find it difficult to work out whether he is a batter or a leg-spinner, which is good because it shows how much talent he has.
England will make Rehan Ahmed (above) their youngest Test cricketer on Friday
‘When we talked about adding Rehan to the squad, it was more than including him. We have no issue choosing him if we feel it is the right option.
‘If he plays, I don’t think it’s a case of giving away caps. Having a wrist-spinner is always exciting, especially for England, but it’s about not getting too carried away with his potential. You still have to look after the talent, no matter how exciting it is.’
Ahmed is likely to replace Will Jacks as the only change for England, who are looking to become the first team on tour to complete a 3-0 clean sweep of Pakistan.
Ben Stokes (above) says having a wrist-spinner is always exciting, especially for England
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