ISLAMABAD — England have decided to throw Rehan Ahmed into the mix for the series decider against Pakistan after making two changes to the team that lost last week’s second Test in Multan.
Leg-spinner Ahmed and seamer Gus Atkinson come into England’s XI for the third and final Test that starts in Rawalpindi on Thursday in place of Brydon Carse and Matt Potts.
It means Ben Stokes’ team will have three spinners, with Ahmed joining Shoiab Bashir and Jack Leach, and just one frontline seamer in Atkinson to take advantage of what they think will be a turning pitch.
Pakistan have been attempting to replicate the used surface that worked so well for them in Multan last week by using industrial-sized fans and patio heaters in a bid to dry out the Rawalpindi strip.
England’s team for 3rd Pakistan Test
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Ollie Pope
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ben Stokes (C)
- Jamie Smith
- Gus Atkinson
- Rehan Ahmed
- Jack Leach
- Shoaib Bashir
On Tuesday the heaters had gone and the fans were not on when both England and Pakistan trained. But the pitch was left uncovered and exposed to the sun as the hosts try to make what is traditionally one of the flattest surfaces in world cricket spicier for the final match of this series.
Harry Brook, who scored a century on his last appearance at this venue two years ago, also suggested groundstaff had been raking the pitch in the build-up to the game.
“They’ve had the rakes out, the fans and the heaters on the pitch,” he said. “Hopefully, it’ll be a nice pitch for the first couple of days and then we’re expecting it to turn at the back end of the game.
“It’s interesting and it’s unique. I think everyone is just guessing. We’ll see in a couple of days.”
Ahmed, 20, will only be playing his fifth Test since debuting as a teenager in Karachi two years ago, when he took a five-wicket haul in Pakistan’s second innings to spin England to victory and a 3-0 series clean sweep. His last appearance came against India at Rajkot in February, when he took three for 193 across both innings of a match Stokes’ men lost by 434 runs.
“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,” said Brook.
“Rehan’s an outstanding cricketer. 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 [in Pakistan], so hopefully he can do that again.”
More to follow…
