The Ashes: Rehan Ahmed added to England squad as cover for Moeen Ali ahead of second test at Lord's against Australia

ByLewis Mason

Published 23/06/2023 at 12:44 GMT

Rehan Ahmed became England's youngest-ever Test debutant when he played against Pakistan last year at the age of 18 years and 126 days. His performance gained him many plaudits after he also became the youngest debutant to take five wickets in an innings in men’s Tests. He has been brought into the England Ashes squad as cover for Moeen Ali, who struggled in the first Test with a finger injury.

Spin bowler Rehan Ahmed has been added to England’s Ashes squad as cover for Moeen Ali.

Ali - who took three wickets in the first Test defeat against Australia - is struggling with a finger injury.

He came out of Test retirement to join the squad after Jack Leach was ruled out for the summer.

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A blister on Ali’s finger hampered his first Test performance.

Australia’s Nathan Lyon - who is also a spinner - sympathised, saying: “The best way I can probably sum it up, and it will probably sound weird, is a singer losing their vocals but expecting to go out and put a concert on.”

Ahmed, 18, comes into the squad with just one Test cap under his belt.

It was, however, an impressive debut which saw him take seven wickets against Pakistan in Karachi last winter.

At 18 years and 126 days old, he became the youngest man to play Test cricket for England.

Moeen Ali is struggling with a finger injury

Image credit: Getty Images

England’s updated Ashes squad

• Ben Stokes (Durham) Captain
• Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
• Moeen Ali (Warwickshire)
• James Anderson (Lancashire)
• Jonny 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)

The second Test begins at Lord’s on Wednesday.

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