| Venue: Karachi Date: 17-21 December (05:00 GMT) |
| Protection: Stay Take a look at Match Particular radio and textual content commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports activities Further & BBC Sport web site, plus desktop, tablets, mobiles and app. |
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed will change into the youngest man to play Take a look at cricket for England after being handed a debut within the third Take a look at in opposition to Pakistan.
The 18-year-old breaks the document of legendary Yorkshire batter Brian Shut, which has stood since 1949.
Ahmed and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes come into the aspect in Karachi rather than tempo bowler James Anderson and all-rounder Will Jacks.
England have already received the sequence and are in search of a 3-0 clear sweep.
No visiting group has ever overwhelmed Pakistan 3-0 of their nation, whereas England have solely ever earned three earlier clear sweeps in away Take a look at sequence of three matches or extra.
Leicestershire’s Ahmed might be aged 18 years and 126 days when the Take a look at begins on Saturday. Former captain Shut was 18 years and 149 days when he performed in opposition to New Zealand at Outdated Trafford 73 years in the past.
“I have been watching him intently, with out letting him know I have been watching him intently,” England captain Ben Stokes advised BBC Sport.
“It is a fantastic alternative to let Rehan exit and actually categorical himself. There’s not an excessive amount of strain to carry out, simply to have enjoyable.
“You solely make your debut as soon as, you possibly can by no means make it once more. If we are able to make him really feel like he is had a ball of a time on the market, and he walks off with wickets and runs, that might be nice.”
Ahmed has been named within the England aspect regardless of leaving coaching early on Friday as a result of he felt unwell.
He won’t be the youngest particular person to play a Take a look at for England – left-arm spinner Holly Colvin was 15 years and 336 days when she performed for the ladies’s group in opposition to Australia in 2005.
The Leicestershire man has performed solely three first-class matches, taking 9 wickets at a mean of 30. He was a part of the England group that reached the ultimate of the Beneath-19 World Cup this yr and performed for England Lions in opposition to the touring South Africans within the house summer time.
He was then named within the England Lions squad for a coaching camp within the United Arab Emirates and added to the complete squad throughout a warm-up sport in Abu Dhabi in November.
Ahmed provides a second frontline spin-bowling choice to the vacationers’ XI on a Karachi pitch that’s anticipated to show.
He considers himself to be a batter and made a century batting at quantity 5 for Leicestershire in opposition to Derbyshire in his final first-class match in September.
“It is very powerful to inform what his largest energy is, bat or ball,” added Stokes. “He likes to point out off with the bat, as a result of he is obtained so many various photographs. I am very excited to see what he is obtained with the ball.
“Our message to him is ‘look to take wickets with the ball, smack it with the bat and within the area chase after it till it goes for 4’.”
Foakes takes the gloves from Ollie Pope after lacking the primary Take a look at by way of sickness, then being unnoticed of the second.
Jacks made his debut as a late substitute for Foakes within the first Take a look at and took six wickets together with his off-spin within the first innings of England’s win in Rawalpindi, however bowled solely eight over within the second-Take a look at victory in Multan.
Stokes confirmed that the choice to omit Anderson was purely to guard the 40-year-old with a house Ashes sequence in opposition to Australia subsequent summer time.
“Being 2-0 up, it was the suitable option to let Jimmy have a relaxation,” stated Stokes.
“Taking a look at what we have arising, I’m behind my thoughts trying on the Ashes. I wish to have a gaggle of eight or 9 bowlers.
“If we had been to select Jimmy and one thing occurred to him, I might be kicking myself eternally if it led to him being injured. It is about taking care of him greater than the rest.”
In the meantime, former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has introduced he’ll retire from Take a look at cricket after the ultimate match of the sequence.
Azhar, 37, has performed 96 Exams, scoring 7,097 runs – solely 4 Pakistan batters have ever scored extra.
He was unnoticed of the Pakistan group that was overwhelmed within the second Take a look at however an area on the high of the order may come up because of Imam-ul-Haq’s battle with a hamstring harm.
Evaluation – ‘He is lived as much as England dream’
Jigar Naik, Head of expertise pathway at Leicestershire, chatting with BBC Radio 5 dwell
He’s very proficient. I feel a number of issues he does behind the scenes goes unnoticed; he works extraordinarily exhausting. He is an thrilling expertise, that is for positive.
When folks noticed him a few years in the past, everybody earmarked him to be an England cricketer and he is lived as much as that dream. It is unbelievable to see.
He is a superb character: he is bubbly, he is infectious. I feel each time he will get a bat in his hand, he desires to play cricket – and that is what rubs off on everybody round him.
However he is additionally the kind of character that takes the whole lot on board and simply takes the whole lot in his stride. Each time he has stepped up by way of enjoying white-ball cricket for Leicestershire or on his first-class debut for us, he is taken it in his stride and the whole lot has come naturally to him.
Who’s Rehan Ahmed? {The teenager}’s profession to this point
- July 2016: Makes headlines after dismissing Ben Stokes and Sir Alastair Prepare dinner in a web session at Lord’s earlier than England’s Take a look at match in opposition to Pakistan, aged simply 11.
- July 2021: Makes Leicestershire debut in One-Day Cup in opposition to Yorkshire. Goes on to play seven matches, taking 5 wickets and averaging 44.5 with the bat.
- November 2021: Indicators contract extension with Leicestershire regardless of not but making a County Championship look.
- January-February 2022: Performs for England on the ICC Beneath-19 Cricket World Cup, taking 12 wickets in 4 innings.
- April 2022: Purchased by Southern Courageous for The Hundred and extends contract with Leicestershire till 2026.
- Might 2022: Makes County Championship debut for Leicestershire.
- September 2022: Scores maiden century in opposition to Derbyshire within the County Championship.
- November 2022: Added to England’s Take a look at squad for his or her three-Take a look at tour of Pakistan.
- December 2022: Handed debut to change into the youngest man to play Take a look at cricket for England.
