Preview: Legspiner Rehan Ahmed will become England’s youngest Test player and regular wicketkeeper Ben Foakes returns to the lineup as the visitors eye a historic 3-0 sweep in their first Test tour to Pakistan in 17 years.
Foakes failed to recover in time from a viral infection that hit several England players on the eve of the first Test at Rawalpindi earlier this month. Ollie Pope donned the wicketkeeping gloves in Foakes’ absence in both Tests.
Ahmed will be 18 years, 126 days when he takes the field on Saturday in the third and final Test after England decided to rest 40-year-old James Anderson having already clinched the series. Foakes will replace Will Jacks.
Ahmed will be 23 days younger than England’s current record holder Brian Close was when he made his Test debut against New Zealand at Manchester in 1949 at the age of 18 years, 149 days.
He has played only three first class games for Leicestershire, but his attacking style impressed both coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes in a county game against Derbyshire where he made 122 and also picked up a five-wicket haul with his legspin bowling.
Pakistan had their moment to level the series on a slow turning pitch at Multan but Mark Wood’s four-wicket haul in the second innings earned England a thrilling 26-run win inside four days when Pakistan were bowled out for 328 after the visitors setup a challenging target of 355.
(inputs from The Associated Press)
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