Rehan Ahmed of England during the 1st Test match between Pakistan and England at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. , Photo Credit: Getty Images
Legspinner Rehan Ahmed will become England’s youngest Test player and regular wicketkeeper Ben Foakes will return to the lineup as the visitors complete a historic 3-0 sweep of Pakistan in their first Test tour in 17 years.
Fox failed to recover in time from the viral infection that struck several England players on the eve of the first Test in Rawalpindi earlier this month. Ollie Pope donned the wicketkeeping gloves in Foakes’ absence in both Tests.
Ahmed will be 18 years, 126 days old when he takes the field in the third and final Test on Saturday after England decided to rest 40-year-old James Anderson, who had already won the series. Fox will replace Jacques.
Captain Ben Stokes said, ‘This is an exciting time for Rehan. “He was very excited when we nodded to him that he was going to play last night.”
Ahmed will be 23 days younger than England’s current record holder, Brian Close, when he made his Test debut at the age of 18 years, 149 days against New Zealand in Manchester in 1949.
Ahmed originally went to Abu Dhabi as a net bowler when England had a training camp in the UAE, before he was drafted into the squad.
He played only three first-class matches for Leicestershire, but his attacking style impressed both coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes in a county game against Derbyshire, where he scored 122 and also took five wickets with his legspin bowling.
Stokes said, ‘It is good to see someone who has so much freedom. He’s got a lot of shots and of course it’s great to have a wrist spinner in your team, especially in these conditions.
With their aggressive approach under McCullum and Stokes, England beat Pakistan by 74 runs on a flat wicket in Rawalpindi to lead the three-match series 2–0, which later received a demerit point from the International Cricket Council.
Pakistan had a chance to level the series on a slow turning pitch at Multan but Mark Wood’s four-wicket haul in the second innings helped England seal a thrilling 26-run win in four days this week after the visitors were set up. Got out for 328 runs. A challenging target of 355.
Stokes said he would like to go with a 3-0 series win, but added that he is not putting extra pressure on his teammates. England are enjoying a remarkable streak in the longer format that began in the summer, when they won six out of seven Test matches against opposition such as New Zealand, India and South Africa.
Stokes said about the possibility of a clean sweep, ‘We would love to. “[But]we’re not putting pressure on ourselves or as a team to go 3-0 here because then you take all your focus off the process and how you want to play.”
England have frustrated Pakistan’s bowlers with their consistent aggression in the last two weeks. He took a world record 506-4 in the first Test and then despite mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed claiming 7-114 on his debut Test in Multan, Stokes’ men scored a rapid 281 in the first two sessions on the opening day. Crucial lead of 79 runs in the first innings.
Young Harry Brook has scored two consecutive centuries and scored 357 runs at better than a run-a-ball in two Tests, while Ben Duckett (249) also dominated the spinners in the series with his trademark reverse sweep.
Pakistan’s injury woes were compounded when opener Imam-ul-Haq sustained a right hamstring injury during training on Friday.
The left-handed Imam scored 229 runs in the two Tests, including 60 in the second Test, which almost won the home side.
Imam’s injury is the third blow for Pakistan after fast bowlers Haris Rauf (thigh injury) and Naseem Shah (shoulder) broke down in the first Test and were ruled out of the rest of the series.
Captain Babar Azam said, ‘We have played continuous cricket and that’s why we get more injuries.’ “It is not that we are resting on fitness but we have to address the fitness issues.”
Babar said Pakistan missed their moments in the series and expects their spinners to challenge England on another dry wicket as they prepare for the third Test. Legspinners Zahid Mahmood and Ahmed are the highest wicket-takers in the series, with 23 wickets each in the two Tests.
“The wicket looks dry and it is a normal Karachi pitch,” Babar said. The weather is hot here so maybe it will help the spinners… Both the matches were in hand, but we have to make sure we don’t repeat the mistakes.