On Tuesday, England selected Rehan Ahmed as the third slow bowler for the series-deciding final Test against Pakistan on a dry Rawalpindi pitch expected to favor spin bowling. The 20-year-old leg-spinner will join forces with left-arm spinner Jack Leach and off-break bowler Shoaib Bashir in a three-pronged spin attack when the match commences on Thursday.
The three-match series is currently tied at 1-1, with England securing a victory in the first Test in Multan by an innings and 47 runs. Pakistan responded by winning the second Test on the same pitch, with their spinners claiming all 20 wickets. Seam bowler Gus Atkinson has been recalled, while fast bowlers Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts have been omitted from the squad.
According to an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement, "There are two changes from the second Test in Multan with seamer Gus Atkinson returning and leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed being included." Ahmed, who made a memorable Test debut in Karachi last year, taking five wickets in England's 3-0 sweep of Pakistan, returns to the team for the first time since facing India in Rajkot earlier this year.
England's decision to field a third spinner is influenced by the pitch conditions at Rawalpindi, which has been prepared without grass. Pakistan has employed industrial-sized fans and patio heaters to dry the square. The England team for the third Test comprises Ben Stokes (captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, and Shoaib Bashir.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
