Rehan Ahmed: England add teenage leg-spinner to squad for Pakistan Test tour

Rehan Ahmed joins England’s Test squad for the tour of Pakistan after impressing during the camp in the United Arab Emirates.

The 18-year-old could become England’s youngest ever men’s Test cricketer should he feature in the three-match series, which begins in Rawalpindi on 1 December.

Ahmed has done enough over the last three weeks to persuade the management that he is ready join the senior side, despite having just three first-class appearances under his belt.

Ahmed only made his LV= County Championship debut for Leicestershire in May and stands on the brink of full Test honours having bowled only 446 balls in first-class cricket, with nine wickets.

If he goes on to win selection in Rawalpindi, Multan or Karachi he will beat the previous record of Brian Close, who first wore the Three Lions at 18 years and 149 days in 1949.

But he has been tipped for big things from a tender age, earning media attention at just 11 when he dismissed Ben Stokes and Sir Alastair Cook in the nets having been invited to bowl at the national team.

He was picked up in The Hundred by reigning champions Southern Brave earlier this summer despite a lack of competitive experience and was subsequently invited to train with England’s white-ball team at Old Trafford, benefiting from a lengthy session alongside fellow leg-spinner Adil Rashid.