Pakistan v England: Rehan Ahmed could make debut in Karachi

Leicestershire's Rehan Ahmed has lone played 3 first-class matches

England are considering handing a debut to 18-year-old leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed successful the 3rd Test against Pakistan.

England already person an unassailable 2-0 pb successful the bid and are looking for a historical cleanable sweep.

"We've been reasoning astir it," said skipper Ben Stokes. "Having a wrist-spinner is ever exciting."

Leicestershire's Ahmed, who was portion of the England squad that reached the Under-19 World Cup final, has lone played 3 first-class matches.

He was archetypal named successful the England Lions enactment for a grooming campy successful the United Arab Emirates, past added to the afloat squad during a warm-up crippled successful Abu Dhabi astatine the extremity of November.

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Ahmed has featured arsenic a sub fielder during England's victories successful Rawalpindi and Multan.

England arrived successful Karachi connected Wednesday, but with astir of the squad taking a remainder time connected Thursday, Stokes volition not spot conditions astatine the National Stadium until grooming connected Friday.

"We can't spell into excessively overmuch item until we person had a look astatine the wicket," said Stokes.

"We picked him successful the squad not conscionable due to the fact that of his talent, but due to the fact that we thought it would beryllium a bully accidental to play if we thought it was necessary."

Ahmed could regenerate all-rounder Will Jacks, oregon a accelerated bowler, depending connected the conditions. England indispensable besides determine whether oregon not to callback wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, which would mean altering the equilibrium of the team.

If helium plays, Ahmed volition beryllium aged 18 years and 126 days. Legendary erstwhile England skipper Close was 18 years and 149 days erstwhile helium played against New Zealand astatine Old Trafford much than 7 decades ago.

Ahmed would not beryllium the youngest idiosyncratic to play a Test for England - left-arm spinner Holly Colvin was 15 years and 336 days erstwhile she played against Australia successful 2005.

Though chosen for his bowling, Ahmed considers himself much of a batter - helium made a period batting astatine fig 5 for Leicestershire successful his 3rd first-class match.

"He loves cricket," said Stokes. "I'm struggling to enactment retired what helium is, whether he's a batter oregon a leg-spinner, which is I conjecture good, due to the fact that it shows however overmuch endowment he's got.

"It's astir not getting excessively carried distant with the imaginable that helium has, due to the fact that helium is lone young. You've inactive got to nurture talent, adjacent however breathtaking it is."

If Ahmed does play, helium would beryllium the archetypal non-white antheral to diagnostic successful a Test for England since Stokes took complaint 9 matches ago.

On Tuesday, erstwhile Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq made his 2nd quality successful beforehand of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee and said "cricket is successful denial" implicit racism.

"I person ever felt cricket is simply a precise inclusive sport," said Stokes. "Certainly successful my clip successful the England team, you person been selected connected your skills arsenic a cricketer archetypal and foremost.

"That inactive should beryllium the mode going guardant careless of your beliefs oregon what you look like. If you're bully capable to correspond this country, you're going to get picked.

"Rehan could beryllium an unbelievable illustration to acceptable to younger kids who privation to travel up. They whitethorn person heard astir what's happened successful cricket recently, but helium tin beryllium seen an illustration of 'no, we've got this 18-year-old, hopefully a imaginable superstar, wherefore can't I beryllium that?'."