England legspinner unfazed by spotlight as he holds his own in England’s Test team
Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Feb-2024It was an early checkout for England at the Novotel Hotel in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday morning, as they jetted off for a brief sojourn in Abu Dhabi.The golf clubs will meet them there, while the cricket kit goes on the road to meet them in Rajkot next Monday. For now, thoughts on how to combat Jasprit Bumrah have been parked in favour of a new conundrum: how to balance a few rounds against quality time with those family members who have travelled to the UAE. Rehan Ahmed, however, does not have that problem.”Nah, not sure how anyone plays that sport,” Rehan says, when asked about the team’s favourite pastime. “Shocking sport. If you go to Topgolf in Dubai [driving range/restaurant] it’s not bad. I hold it like a cricket bat.” Even managing director Rob Key, a golf tragic, has failed to get him into it.Most 19-year olds are quite happy telling older generations their idea of fun is no fun at all. But the fact that Rehan is not tempted to hack around just to fit in speaks of his comfort with who and where he is. Besides, he’d prefer to catch up on the Turkish television series, Ertugrul. “I started it in Pakistan and I still have three years left of it,” he says. “It’s about the Ottoman Empire. And by the time I finish it, I’ll have forgotten the first part, so I’ll start again.”The last 13 months have been a whirlwind: 16 England caps across all formats and a lucrative two-year central contract with the ECB. It began with a five-wicket haul on Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi, and now he’s holding his own as the wildest selection in a wildcard team away to India.Rehan’s eight wickets mean he is England’s second-highest wicket-taker in the series so far. Six of them came in the second Test in Visakhapatnam, where he operated in a spin trio alongside Tom Hartley and debutant Shoaib Bashir. Rehan was both the youngest and most experienced on show.Ben Foakes ‘is a joke’, says Rehan. ‘I have never seen anyone as good as him”•AFP via Getty ImagesHe was also parachuted in at No.3 on the penultimate evening of the Test, looking to give the fourth-innings chase a shock. It didn’t work – Rehan’s cameo of 23 of 31 was not quite a big enough dent in a colossal 399 target. It meant he also did not come good on a promise to his favourite player, Kevin Pietersen, who was commentating on the first two games. “He spoke to me and said ‘right, I just want to see sixes’,” Rehan says. “I said I would be trying. I didn’t get one. It’s the thought that counts.”The intention was sound, particularly as a reprisal of Rehan’s role as the original ‘Nighthawk’ the previous winter, after Stuart Broad had trailed the role in England’s home summer. It was Rehan’s idea, too, collaring Ben Stokes as they walked off the field after India’s second innings had come to an end.Related
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“I don’t know where I got that confidence from,” he says. “But I just felt it was a good time to go in, and I’ll take any opportunity I get to do that. So yeah, I went straight to Stokesy and Baz and was like ‘let me get the pads on’.”He’d like a more permanent promotion – “top seven, top six would be nice” – but appreciates he’s lacking runs at present. One century for Leicestershire, against Derbyshire at the end of the 2022 summer, and an 85 and 90 against Yorkshire and Glamorgan last season are his most notable first-class scores. Those who have closely monitored Rehan’s progress at the ECB wonder if he might end up being more of a batter as his career takes shape.For now, the bowler is doing his bit. And Rehan’s reflections on how the tour has gone so far are refreshingly mature.”I don’t think there’s many places where you can say leg-spin does very well,” he says. “I think it’s more about adapting as well as you can.Rehan’s role as the Nighthawk was a qualified success in the second Test•Getty Images”I think I bowled a bit slow in the first Test. The batsmen had a lot of time to play more. So I tried to speed up a little bit but again, tried to keep it balanced as well. I think it’s more of a thinking game than anything. Not a skill thing. I think if you just keep it very simple, you’ll be all right.”Even so, his legbreak does seem to be turning more in this series than previously. Something he has worked on, perhaps?”I think I’m just playing in India, so it’s going a bit more,” he says. “I mean, I’ve been working on it as much as I can. I’ve not really thought about trying to get big sidespin. I just try to hit the stumps as many times as I can.”So yeah, I have tried to put more spin on it. Tried to get it on the seam and stuff, but I just feel like bowling cross-seam with variable bounce is more dangerous in India than bowling on the seam quite traditionally.”Rehan’s most productive form of dismissal has been caught behind, which is a testament to Ben Foakes’ work behind the stumps – “I reckon he is the best keeper in the world, ever … I have never seen anyone as good as him” – and a consistent attacking line. There have been times when India’s batters have got hold of him, but he has never wavered. It’s not in his nature.”I don’t like bowling maidens,” Rehan says, despite the fact that only Bumrah (14) has sent down more than his 11 in the series to date. “I think that’s just boring. I’ll try and change some things.”‘We all trust Stokesy. He is always looking for the betterment of the team.’•Associated PressStokes’ use of Rehan has varied, even if the onus has always been on taking wickets. He used him as late as the 61st over in the first innings of the last Test, something which Rehan admits got him angsty. He went on to take 3 for 65.”Every time he looked at the scoreboard behind me, I was like [gestures warming up]. When he gave me the ball, he was like, ‘do I need to say anything to you?’ And I was like, ‘Please give me the ball’.”The thing is we all trust Stokesy. Everyone knows what goes on in Stokesy’s head. He is always looking for the betterment of the team. That’s what I want as well. Whatever the team needs, I will try to do. Obviously, Stokesy will always put the team first. It’s not about making me happy. If he believes I will get a wicket at a certain time, he will put me on.”They just don’t care about how bad things can go,” he says of Stokes and Brendon McCullum. “It’s always about what good you can get out of it. So if I bowl four bad balls and get a wicket, that’s better than bowling 16 good balls in a row.”Stokes’ belief in Rehan is matched by his sensitivity. With Islam playing a huge part of Rehan’s day-to-day life – “much more important than cricket” – he has been allowed to miss the odd training session to observe optional fasting days. Appreciation of a player’s faith is the very least you would expect from any team, but Rehan appreciates how open he can be with his.
They just don’t care about how bad things can go. It’s always about what good you can get out of it. So if I bowl four bad balls and get a wicket, that’s better than bowling 16 good balls in a row.
“Stokes is so good with that. I remember a time in Abu Dhabi where there was a team day out on a Friday. We had Friday prayers. Obviously me and Bash [Shoaib Bashir] were there. I messaged Wayno [Wayne Bentley], the team manager, asking if we could miss this day because we need to pray.”Stokes messaged me straight away and said: ‘Come to me whenever you want about this kind of stuff, I understand it fully’. And yes, he’s stuck by his word. Every time I pray he is so respectful, very understanding. Everyone is on this tour.”In the short term, the third Test looms with the series locked at 1-1. Predictions for the surface range from flat to the sharpest turner of the three so far. England, as they have done throughout this series, will analyse the preparations to make a call on their team the day before the Test.Whether that means continuing on with their current line-up of three spinners and one seamer remains to be seen. Whatever they decide, and with Jack Leach unlikely to recover fully from his damaged right knee, Rehan is a lock for now. Could this be a chance to cement himself as a man for all conditions?”I think to stay in the team you have to justify your place,” Rehan says, not expecting any ‘wildcard’ charity. “I need to get wickets and runs.”