Blunted in county cricket, England spin sensation Rehan Ahmed turns deadly in Pakistan

Rehan Ahmed swung the third Test against Pakistan back in England’s favour with a fine spell in the morning session of day two in Rawalpindi.

With a layer of dust on the pitch benefitting the spinners, Ahmed came into the attack and took 3-25, breaking a fine partnership between Saud Shakeel (72*) and Muhammad Rizwan, trapping the latter lbw for 25, before dismissing Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal in quick succession to leave the hosts 187-7 at lunch.

He eventually finished with figures of 4-66 as the hosts were bowled out for 344 giving them a lead of 77. Ahmed’s initial spell brought England back into the game after being dismissed for 267 in the first innings – though it should come as no surprise that the leg spinner is excelling in these conditions.

His rise to the England team was sudden but expected. Tipped from a young age as one of the next top spin bowlers, he was invited to net with the national side aged 11. At 18, with only three first-class matches played for Leicestershire, he became the youngest man ever to play Test cricket for England when he made his debut in Karachi two years ago.

At the time, England had an unassailable lead in the three match series and Ahmed was brought in for the final Test. Captain Ben Stokes said: “He’s got a lot of skill with both bat and ball, so it’s great to be able to bring someone with the talent and the excitement that he has into the squad and see what he’s got.”

Ahmed came away with match figures of 7-137 including a defining five-wicket haul in Pakistan’s second innings to set up a series whitewash for England, his potential lived up to.

Since then Ahmed has struggled to rediscover that same form. He’s been in and out of England’s Test squads, selected when conditions seem suitable, dropped when not. Somerset spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir are both ahead of him in the pecking order with his role in the team set firmly as the third spinner selected when pitches seem conducive to spin.

Why is this the case? The answer is two-fold; experience and conditions.

Ahmed has only played 24 first-class matches in his career. He is still starting out and learning his trade. In the County Championship, where conditions for spin bowling are often difficult, he hasn’t lived up to the promise of his Test debut.

His 48 wickets come at an average of 46.04 and only twice has he taken more than five wickets in an innings. His most recent outing saw him take 1-147 against Northamptonshire a month ago in a losing cause. This isn’t necessary a problem given his age – Bashir, at 21-years-old, sports similar first class stats: 22 matches, 54 wickets at an average of 48.59 – yet the off spinner offers something Ahmed doesn’t: control.

Wrist spin, as Ahmed bowls, is the trickiest of the spinning disciplines to master but is the most attacking when in pursuit of wickets. Yet for every raging turner, there will be a loose half-volley or full toss that the batters can use to relieve any pressure being built up. It’s tough for leg spinners to build any confidence, especially in conditions that aren’t beneficial to spin like the county grounds of England.

In comparison, an off spinner or slow left-armer like Leach can hit their line and lengths more regularly, allowing captains to set pre-planned fields, slow down the scoring rate, and tempt riskier shot selection from the batters with wickets usually following shortly afterwards. A captain is less likely to replace a spinner who is able to keep the scoring rate down and with control comes experience. Leach has played 150 first-class games, taking 493 wickets at an average of 27.97 including 31 five-wicket hauls. Those are the kind of stats Ahmed will be aiming to achieve throughout his career.

That said, match conditions can make experience seem redundant. It’s the main reason Ahmed has excelled in Pakistan. The pitches here offer more help, more spin and drift through the air. He also has an attack-minded captain in Stokes whose very presence instills bowlers with confidence.

Comparing their Test match stats, Ahmed and Leach are not too far apart despite the 13-year age gap that separates them. Ahmed’s 18 wickets have come at an average of 34.50, Leach’s 140 at 33.61. In this Test alone, Leach has one wicket, Ahmed four, but the older man was tasked with opening the bowling and the younger coming on as third change.

The late Shane Warne was a big admirer of Ahmed after watching him bowl in the England nets as a youth and that potential is still there, it just needs the right conditions to bring it out.