England vs Pakistan: 18-year-old Rehan Ahmed makes debut in 3rd trial as tourists fight for historic money laundering

After a year of highly unstable conditions, England are looking to end 2022 with a win in Karachi that will make them the first team to whitewash Pakistan in the home Test series.

Wins in the first two tests in Rawalpindi and Multan provided Ben Stokes’ team with a historic victory and turned the last game in the Pakistani capital into a stalemate.

However, don’t expect England to handle their injured hosts in their 15th and final Test of the year as they go on to achieve nine wins in their last 10 games under the inspirational guidance of Stokes and manager Brandon McCallum.

With England’s next test against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui two months later, they made just two changes that still look very strong.

One recalls Bazball’s bold move – with 18-year-old leg spinner Rehan Ahmed making his Test debut in place of Surrey’s all-rounder Will Jax.

Ahmed was added to the English Lions squad at the last minute after impressing Stokes and McCallum at a training camp pre-tour in Abu Dhabi.

But at 18 years and 126 days when that game kicks off on Saturday, the teenager will become his country’s youngest male Test debutant, breaking the record set by Brian Close, who made his first Test of the year at 18 years and 149 days against New York. Zealand refused in 1949.

Ahmed was chosen for this tour because of his potential, but with the streak won and the expectation of another step in Karachi, now is the perfect time to give him a big shot.

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In February, Rehan Ahmed led England’s bid to win the Under-19 World Cup. Now part of the England team for their test tour of Pakistan, Brandon McCallum’s praise is ringing in his ears.

It’s unlikely to upset him. After all, this is someone who, at just 13 years old, walked through the doors of Stokes, Alastair Cooke and Joe Root as England’s clean bowlers. saying it. Stokes and Cook followed me,” he shared. I Earlier this year. “When I took Ben out somewhere, he got really angry, so I didn’t have much fun.”

This time it could be Stokes, throwing him the ball and asking him to do what he does best in Pakistan. And according to Paul Nixon, his manager from Leicestershire, he will do it with a smile on his face and the expectation that he will do just that. “His behavior reminds me of a young Shane Warne,” Nixon says. “His attitude and cheerfulness – he always plays cricket with a smile on his face and comes from a cricket-crazed family that is very close and intimate – he is a young man who fearlessly takes cricket to any dressing room he plays in.”

Considering the Jax only hit eight overs in Multan, this looks like a low-risk pick for the hikers, but one, if Ahmed relaxes, could help them whitewash Pakistan for the first-ever 3-0 home run.

The other change is top wicket-keeper Ben Fawkes replacing veteran sailor James Anderson, who rested after continuing his good late-career form in the first two Tests.

The team have taken England’s first consecutive win in the country in 22 years and ending this year with another win would be a fitting end to an exciting six months in which the team has reimagined the way Test cricket is played.

It’s easy to forget that this year started with England drawing against Australia in Sydney in January. However, they will have to wait six Tests – and as many months – to earn their first victory over New Zealand at Lord’s.

If Stokes and his players managed to get their ninth win in 2022 in this latest Test, it would matter for another reason. In terms of wins in a single calendar year, they are second only to Michael Vaughan’s class of 2004, who won 11 of their 13 games, and are equal to the team that led Andrew Strauss to nine wins in 2010.

Both sides achieved greatness the following year – Vaughan’s men won the Ashes for the first time in 18 years and Strauss became the only England team to ever climb to the top spot in the World Test rankings.

With another Ashes home series next summer, a victory in Karachi will be another sign that this group of players are on their way to something special.

Pakistan – England, 3rd test

• Location: National Stadium, Karachi
• Start time: Saturday 17:00
• TELEVISION: Sky Sports Cricket (from 4:30)
• Pakistan (probably): A. Shafiq, I. Ul-Haq, M. B. Azam (Captain), S. Shakeel, M. Rizwan (Wicket Keeper), A. Salman, S. Ahmed, M. Nawaz, M. Wasim, Z. Mahmoud , A. Ahmed
• England: BM Duckett, Z Crawley, OJD Pope, JE Root, HC Brook, BA Stokes (captain), BT Foakes (wicket), OE Robinson, MA Wood, R Ahmed, MJ Leach
• Referee: Jay Wilson (West Indies), A Raza (Pakistan)
• TV judge: M Erasmus (South Africa)
• Innings: Expect a similar Multan – slow and lots of spin
• Weather: 29 degrees sunny

Pakistan is already short of three injured frontmen and 21-year-old fast bowler Mohammad Wasim is expected to make his debut. Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is also close to his first test in three years to strengthen his position.

Pakistan is encouraged by their record in Karachi – they only lost two tests in the capital. “We have a good track record in Karachi, so I am confident that we will return to normal,” said Capt. Babar Azam.

But England is flying and is sure that it will end the year with a bang.

Ollie Robinson, who this week admitted he fears he will never be able to play cricket again as he suffered a series of injuries in the first half of the year, said: “This is an exciting time for English cricket. We have 2:0, and if we achieve 3:0, it will require a lot of effort. The guys are ready for the last big win to embellish the 3-0 score.”