Leicestershire leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has been added to the England Men’s squad for the second Ashes Test against Australia at Lord’s as cover for spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali.
Ahmed, 18, who made his Test debut with a five-wicket haul in the third Test against Pakistan in Karachi last winter, will join the rest of the squad this weekend in London.
Moeen was recalled to the England side for the Ashes but suffered a blister on his finger during the first Test at Edgbaston that saw him bowl significantly less during the second innings.
The make-up of England’s bowling attack has been scrutinised with only eight days separating the end of the first Test and the start of the second at Lord’s but England captain Ben Stokes was non-committal about changes following the first Test.
“I think seven days is quite a lot of time to give everyone a good rest,” he said. “We’ll meet up again in three or four days’ time and we’ll assess how everyone’s going.
However, it seems England now feel they need more options in their bowling attack.
England Men’s Ashes Test Squad:
Ben Stokes (Durham) Captain
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
Moeen Ali (Warwickshire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Matthew Potts (Durham)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Josh Tongue (Worcestershire)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
Leicestershire’s Rehan Ahmed was denied a hat-trick of wickets against Yorkshire in the T20 Blast earlier this season as he staked his claim for a place in England’s Ashes squad
The Men’s Ashes resumes at Lord’s on Wednesday June 28 with the second of five Tests. Build-up begins on Sky Sports Cricket at 10am ahead of the first ball at 11am.
