Teenage prospect Rehan Ahmed has been added to England's Test squad for their upcoming tour of Pakistan, meaning he could become their youngest men's Test cricketer.
Former captain Brian Close currently holds the record, having made his debut in 1949 against New Zealand at the age of 18 years and 149 days. Ahmed was initially named in the England Lions squad for the pre-series training camp in Abu Dhabi, but was expected to remain with the senior team as a travelling reserve and net bowler.
However, after impressing during the training camp he has been added to the full squad, with Test coach Brendon McCullum stating: "We know he's not the finished article and has raw potential.
" 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."
Ahmed, who was born a year after James Anderson made his Test debut, has experienced a remarkable rise having only played three first-class matches for his county Leicestershire after making his debut earlier this year.
After starring for the England under-19s as they finished runners-up at the World Cup in January, Ahmed has gone from strength to strength. He took his first five-wicket haul and scored his first century in Leicestershire's final County Championship game of the season against Derbyshire and also trained with England's ODI during the summer, working closely with Adil Rashid.
However, his first experience of training with England came back in 2016 when he was invited to bowl to the Test team in the nets aged just 11. Ahmed got both Sir Alastair Cook and current Test skipper Stokes out, telling ESPNcricinfo earlier this year: "As much as I tried to stay calm and bowl to them like normal people, I just couldn't, because I was bowling to Ben Stokes and Alastair Cook and people with Ashes hundreds, and bowling in the same nets as people with five-fors and Test-match wickets.
"It was crazy. I bowled Ben Stokes a couple of leg-spinners and a googly and he snicked off; he wasn't the happiest so I didn't celebrate… I just took the ball and walked back to my mark.
"But when I snicked off Alastair Cook, that was a bit more like it. He wasn't as bothered. But I didn't celebrate because he's probably the best player in Test cricket. So I was just lucky to do that."
Now 18, Ahmed is confident he is "ready" to make his England debut if the opportunity presents itself in Pakistan. "In cricket, and in sport, you're going to have ups and downs so when your times comes, your time comes," he told the PA news agency.
"If it comes now, I have to take it and do my best. My game is in a good place and I'm confident in my red-ball bowling. I want to play Test match cricket for England, it's the pinnacle, my dream since I was young.
"I say to every captain I play for – I'm always ready. If you want me at the death, if you want me to open the bowling, I'm ready to do it. Sometimes it's all timing. If I'd come up when Adil Rashid was 25 or 26 it would have been a different story but it's just God's timing, that kind of thing. I'm humble for it and thankful for it."
