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Other SportsPakistan v England, third Test: Ahmed returns with series on the line

Pakistan v England, third Test: Ahmed returns with series on the line

Rehan Ahmed has been recalled to the England team as part of a three-pronged spin attack for the third and final Test against Pakistan which starts on Thursday.

The 20-year-old is included alongside Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir with the pitch in Rawalpindi expected to turn. 

Seamer Gus Atkinson returns having missed the second Test defeat in Multan with Durham duo Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse left out.

Ahmed has won four caps for England after making his debut in Pakistan two years ago, taking five for 48 in the third Test in Karachi.

England batter Harry Brook told BBC Sport: “We know it’s probably not going to swing and seam and do all sorts in the first session, so we look at the pitch and work out what the best team is going to be.

“He [Ahmed] is an outstanding cricketer. It’s not just his bowling, but his batting and fielding. He’s a young lad so he has a lot of time to come.

“He got five-for in the last Test here, so hopefully he can do that again.”

England will have to stave off the threat of Pakistan spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who took all 20 wickets as the hosts claimed victory last week.

Yorkshire’s Brook added: “We’ll still look to score against them and put them under the pump. I’ll go about it a little bit differently, so we’ll see how we get on.”

The England team for the third Test is: Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (c), Smith (wk), Atkinson, Ahmed, Leach, Bashir

Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher
Jon has over 20 years' experience in sports journalism having worked at the Press Association, Goal and Stats Perform, covering three World Cups, an Olympics and numerous other major sporting events.
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