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England have recalled 20-year-old leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed for the crucial third Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, opting for a three-pronged spin attack. Ahmed joins fellow spinners Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach, as Gus Atkinson and captain Ben Stokes are set to lead the pace bowling.
Ahmed replaces Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse from the side that lost the second Test, as England aim to secure a series victory. The move to include three frontline spinners comes in response to speculation over the nature of the pitch, with expectations that it will offer significant spin as the game progresses.
“We know it’s probably not going to swing and seam and do all sorts in the first session, so we look at the pitch and work out what the best team is going to be,” England batter Harry Brook told BBC Sport.
Ahmed made his international debut in Pakistan two years ago, becoming the youngest man to play Test cricket for England at 18. His memorable 5-48 in the third Test in Karachi also made him the third-youngest player to take a five-wicket haul on debut. Brook praised Ahmed’s all-round talent, saying, “It’s not just his bowling, but his batting and fielding. He’s a young lad so he has a lot of time to come.”
Pakistan leveled the series 1-1 on a reused pitch in Multan, where spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan shared all 20 wickets, marking the first time a pair of bowlers achieved that feat since 1972.
As England trained on the Rawalpindi pitch, industrial-sized fans and other drying equipment from Multan were no longer in place, leaving questions about how the surface will play. Brook expects it to be a good batting pitch for the first couple of days before spin starts to dominate.
England are looking to replicate their historic 3-0 series victory over Pakistan two years ago, with Brook, who scored his maiden Test century in Rawalpindi during that series, eager to make another mark in the decider. “It’s like a final,” he said. “Hopefully we can perform well and get another win.”
