He was informed of his promotion to the full squad by Test coach Brendon McCullum at tea on first day of the fixture at Tolerance Oval, in which he bowled eight wicketless overs for 73 runs but took an excellent catch to remove Will Jacks, back-pedalling from cover, off the bowling of Dan Lawrence.
“We know he’s not the finished article and has raw potential,” McCullum said on Ahmed’s selection. “But Ben [Stokes], myself and the rest of the coaches like how he approaches his game. The experience of being part of the squad in Pakistan will be hugely beneficial for him, and he will add to the make-up of our squad.”
The call-up is yet another big step for Ahmed in what has been a remarkable 18 months. His first taste of professional cricket came in 2021’s Royal London Cup, where he took five wickets in seven matches and, more impressively, averaged 44.50 with the bat. Then came a star-turn at the Under-19 World Cup with 12 dismissals in England’s run to the final where they were beaten by India.
He will offer an alternative to the part-time spin of Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks, and gives England cover in the event they come across turning pitches in Pakistan given Jack Leach was the only frontline spinner picked in the original squad of 15.
While the tour of Pakistan is historic for England given it is 17 years since they last toured the country for a Test series, it will be equally significant for Ahmed.
“Every time I’ve been, it’s always been great: the way they look after you there is crazy. It would mean the world to represent England in Pakistan. It would be great.”