England's promising leg-spinner, Rehan Ahmed, is set to depart from the ongoing tour of India due to an urgent family matter.
Ahmed, just 19 years old, was not included in the playing XI for the upcoming Test, which commenced on Friday.
It has been reported that the decision to exclude Ahmed from the playing side by team management, led by Ben Stokes, was unrelated to his urgent family matter, which only surfaced late on Thursday afternoon following the team announcement. Despite his impending departure, Ahmed remained present at England's final training session, actively contributing to the team's preparations and will fly out of India on Friday.
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Ahmed's departure reduces England's travelling squad to 14 players for the final two Tests. The remaining frontline spinners, Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley, are slated to feature in the fourth Test.
What did the ECB say?
Official communication from England on Rehan Ahmed: "Rehan Ahmed will return home for personal reasons with immediate effect from England Men's Test tour of India. He will not be returning to India. England will not be replacing Ahmed for the rest of the tour."
Take care, @RehanAhmed__16 ❤️
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 23, 2024
Rehan Ahmed will return home for personal reasons.
He will not be returning to India and we will not be naming a replacement.
🇮🇳 #INDvENG 🏴 #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/T7SgSLYDhp
During his participation in England's first three Tests against India, Ahmed showcased his talent by claiming 11 wickets at an average of 44, including an impressive match-haul of 6 for 153 in Visakhapatnam.
The young cricketer from Leicestershire made history by becoming the youngest player to debut for England in Test cricket at the age of 18, during a match against Pakistan in Karachi in December 2022. Throughout this India tour, Ahmed has demonstrated his potential, making significant contributions to the team's bowling attack.
England's selection strategy for the series has been impacted by various unforeseen circumstances, including batter Harry Brook's withdrawal before the series due to personal reasons and senior spinner Jack Leach's departure following a knee injury sustained in the first Test.
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