England are gearing up to face Australia in the second Test match of the ongoing Ashes series, scheduled to begin on June 28 at the iconic Lord’s Stadium in London. In anticipation of the high-voltage clash, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has made an important announcement regarding the English squad.
The ECB has revealed that 18-year-old leg spinner Rehan Ahmed has been included in the squad as a cover for the injured Moeen Ali, who sustained an injury during the opening Test match in Birmingham. Notably, Moeen’s return to Test cricket was short-lived as he experienced a setback due to an injury to his index finger, reminiscent of a similar wound he suffered during the 2017/18 Ashes series. To add to his woes, Moeen also faced criticism on social media after applying an unapproved ointment to numb the pain in his injured finger, resulting in a fine being imposed on him.
In light of Moeen’s injury and his subsequent unavailability, the England team management decided to bring in Rehan, who made his Test debut for England at the age of 18 years and 126 days, during the match against Pakistan in Karachi. In his maiden Test, Rehan showcased his immense potential by claiming an impressive tally of seven wickets.
“Leicestershire leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has been added to the England Men’s Test squad for the second LV= Insurance Men’s Ashes Test against Australia starting at Lord’s on Wednesday 28 June 2023 as cover for spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali,” read a release issued by the ECB.
“Ahmed, 18, who made his Test debut with a five-wicket haul in the final Test against Pakistan in Karachi last winter, will join the rest of the squad this weekend in London,” the release added.
England squad for the second Ashes Test:
Ben Stokes (C), 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, Mark Wood
