Watch: Rehan Ahmed could become the youngest player in men’s Ashes history after being called up for the Lord’s Test, with Shane Warne having predicted his greatness years ago.
Ahmed has been turning heads for some time. As a 12-year-old net bowler, he dismissed Ben Stokes in an England training session and within four years made his Leicestershire debut in the 2021 Royal London One-Day Cup.
The precocious leg-spinner’s rise has been meteoric. Ahmed, while 17, was a crucial part of the England side that finished as runners-up in this year’s U19 World Cup and was soon signed by Southern Brave for The Hundred.
Ahmed made his County Championship and T20 Blast debuts in the early stages of the 2022 English summer, enjoying a particularly impressive T20 campaign with Leicestershire, finishing the competition as the leg-spinner with the most wickets. Ahmed, who turned 18 in August, went on to claim his maiden first-class five-for and score his first first-class hundred later in the summer. His maiden England Lions call-up was soon followed by a first senior England selection.
He then claimed a five-for on men’s Test debut in Pakistan, having become the youngest ever England men’s Test cricketer in the game. He is now in with a chance of an Ashes debut, after being called up to the squad for the second Test as injury cover for Moeen Ali. He would be the youngest ever men’s Ashes cricketer if he were to play.
On the day after his first England call-up, videos of a training session he did at Lord’s in September 2017 – when Ahmed was 13 – started to do the rounds on social media, which have since been shared again. The videos show an even younger Ahmed bowling in front of the game’s greatest leg-spinner. Warne, who claimed 708 Test wickets and was named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the 20th Century, died earlier this year at the age of 52.
After Ahmed bowls, Warne is seen approaching the youngster to compliment his bowling and tip him for a big future. In one of the clips, Warne says: “That’s very, very good. Have you got many people talking to you, telling you, ‘Do this, do that? Change your pace, bowl quicker, bowl slower?’ That sort of thing? Don’t listen to them.”
In another clip from the same session, Warne showers praise on Ahmed, saying; “That’s awesome, man. Really, really good. I’m going to keep a close eye on you. I think we’ll be commentating on you very soon. I think you could be playing first-class cricket by the age of 15.”
You can watch the clips below:
The legendary @ShaneWarne spotted this young bowling sensation at @HomeOfCricket a few years ago.
And today, @Rehan082004 has made his List A debut at the age of 16 for Leicestershire, playing against Yorkshire.
So proud of you, Rehan!#Leicester #Yorkshire pic.twitter.com/Ksk5lZoclL
— Moghees Sheikh (@MogheesSheikh) July 25, 2021
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