London: Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has been added to the England squad as a cover for Moeen Ali for the second Men’s Ashes Test against Australia to be held at Lords from June 28, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Friday.
Ali returned to Test cricket after retiring from the format in 2021, due to lead spinner Jack Leach suffering a stress fracture to his back. But Ali also suffered an injury to his spinning finger while playing in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
With a big blister on his spinning finger after bowling many overs on the trot in first innings, Ali couldn’t bowl significant overs in the second innings, which resulted in England losing in a dramatic fashion by two wickets to Australia.
The 18-year old Ahmed made his Test debut in the final Test against Pakistan in Karachi last winter and picked a five-wicket haul. He now gets the nod ahead of the likes of Will Jacks and Liam Dawson to be a part of the England squad for the Ashes.
ECB added that Ahmed will join the rest of the England squad, which is now of 17 members after his inclusion, this weekend in London. He also made his T20I and ODI debut for England on the tour of Bangladesh in March this year, making Ahmed the youngest England men’s cricketer across all formats.
While playing for Leicestershire in Division Two of the ongoing County Championship season, Ahmed has picked only six wickets at an average of 67.66. But his wrist-spin abilities has got him back in the England Test squad as Ben Stokes & Co aim to bounce back from being 1-0 behind in the five-game Ashes series.
England Men’s Ashes Squad: Ben Stokes (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood
–IANS
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