{"id":61527,"date":"2025-08-12T03:16:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T03:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/61527\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T03:16:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T03:16:10","slug":"rehan-ahmed-interview-why-hes-ready-to-bat-at-three-for-england-his-ashes-dream-and-the-secrets-of-how-he-became-a-run-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/61527\/","title":{"rendered":"REHAN AHMED INTERVIEW: Why he’s ready to bat at three for England, his Ashes dream and the secrets of how he became a run machine"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Rehan Ahmed saw Joe Root<\/a> with his pads on during Trent Rockets training last week, he made sure to tell England\u2019s all-time leading Test run-getter what he wanted.<\/p>\n

\u2018I was like, \u201cRooty, you might as well have a bat otherwise I\u2019ll just watch you on YouTube<\/a>. At least I can learn by watching you live and asking you”. He\u2019s just so good and nice to have around,’ Ahmed tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘I love watching other batters and if I\u2019m curious, I\u2019ll ask. I learn so much from just watching.’<\/p>\n

Asking is his way. When Ahmed missed England training in 2023 for his driving test, he made sure to tell Matthew Mott – then England white-ball coach – that he passed. Then he asked if he was playing against New Zealand the next day. He was.<\/p>\n

And if it wasn\u2019t for asking then he may not have got his big break as a top-order batter for Leicestershire this season.<\/p>\n

When opener Rishi Patel got injured in April, Ahmed picked up the phone and told head coach Alfonso Thomas he wanted that vacancy. After all, he need only look at Steve Smith<\/a> or Kevin Pietersen for the value of going from a spin-bowling all-rounder to leading with the bat.<\/p>\n

Come August, the 20-year-old has impressed both at the top of the order and at his current position of No 3. He has five County Championship centuries including four in his last five innings, and Leicestershire are top of Division Two.<\/p>\n

\"Rehan <\/p>\n

Rehan Ahmed has set his sights on breaking into Brendon McCullum’s Test side for the Ashes<\/p>\n

\"Ahmed <\/p>\n

Ahmed has five County Championship hundreds and is starring in Leicestershire’s top order<\/p>\n

\u2018No one\u2019s going to give anything to you,’ he says. ‘If you don\u2019t ask, you don\u2019t get it. I saw an opportunity and felt I was batting well enough.<\/p>\n

‘I rang Alfonso saying I want to open and I did well, so I got the No 3 spot. It\u2019s nice to have that role instead of batting lower down and not having that clarity. So I\u2019m in a good place.’<\/p>\n

Thomas claimed England made a mistake picking 35-year-old Liam Dawson over Ahmed when Shoaib Bashir got injured, but Ahmed understood the decision, even if it didn\u2019t go his way.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve always been in contact with Keysy (Rob Key) and Wrighty (Luke Wright) from the get-go,’ he says. ‘They were clear and explained that decision. Daws (Dawson) deserved it. I only had a few good games but he\u2019s had a good few years and deserved that chance in the Test shirt.’<\/p>\n

So to the Ashes this winter. Ahmed turns 21 on Wednesday and has been part of England’s plans for all three formats ever since he became the nation’s youngest Test debutant in Pakistan in 2022 aged 18. But he has never had a clear role.<\/p>\n

He has played 21 times for England across formats, and the message going into this summer from Key and Wright was simply about continuing his growth. He has done that emphatically, scoring 760 runs at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 76, while taking 23 wickets at 19 with his leg-spin in county cricket.<\/p>\n

Given those numbers, Ahmed is certain to travel to Australia either as part of the main squad or as part of the touring Lions party led by Andrew Flintoff.<\/p>\n

\u2018I saw Stokesy on Sunday (at the Hundred) and had a bit of a catch-up,\u2019 he says. \u2018Of course, I want to play in the Ashes. Any cricketer would. And I have full faith in the England management that if they feel like I\u2019m fit to do the job and make a difference then they will pick me.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Ahmed <\/p>\n

Ahmed took a five-for on Test debut at Karachi in 2022 as England’s youngest-ever cricketer<\/p>\n

There are questions around Ollie Pope\u2019s future at three but Ahmed isn\u2019t fussed where he bats, insisting that with a change in mindset this season initiated by himself, he backs himself to deliver from anywhere.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019d bat anywhere for England – be it three, six or nine,’ he says. ‘Popey is doing a great job and the current batting lineup is unbelievable.<\/p>\n

\u2018The main thing I\u2019ve changed is my mindset. Last year, I got out a few times in the 70s and 80s and I knew I gave it away. Maybe I was too relaxed. I know I\u2019m better and it was about not getting content with that.<\/p>\n

‘It was about getting to 100 and then getting another 100 and making that difference. I love batting so it was just a concentration thing. Instead of batting half an hour in nets, I now bat for a few hours to try to replicate what it\u2019s like to play a long innings.<\/p>\n

‘When I saw my numbers from last season, they were not good enough. I\u2019m happy I was open to change. Right now, I\u2019m very content with my batting and bowling but seeking perfection is a never-ending pursuit.’<\/p>\n

It has always been that way for the boy turned man, who has only ever been interested in cricket. I recall the first time I met his family at Chaiiwala in early 2022 and ask if he\u2019s still cricket mad. \u2018Yeah, I haven\u2019t changed,\u2019 he says immediately.<\/p>\n

His brother Farhan was just 14 then. Now 17, Farhan has played for the Lions and could face Rehan in the Hundred on August 19 in their hometown, Nottingham, for Manchester Originals. Some say Farhan may even be the better of the two, though he already has a long way to go to match what Rehan has achieved in the game.<\/p>\n

Farhan is expected to be part of the Lions touring party which will be in Australia at the same time as the senior squad this winter, with England ensuring they are as ready as can be to win there for the first time since 2010-11.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Rehan's <\/p>\n

Rehan’s younger brother Farhan, 17, is bowling for Manchester Originals and Nottinghamshire<\/p>\n

\"Ahmed's <\/p>\n

Ahmed’s leg-spin remains a potent weapon, and he is turning himself into a true all-rounder<\/p>\n

\u2018He\u2019s such a special talent, Alhamdulillah (all praise to God),\u2019 says Rehan, who took the youngest five-for by a debutant in that first Test for England in Karachi in 2022. \u2018To play in the Hundred as a pure off-spinner at 17 shows his skill. I\u2019ve faced him a lot and I know he is very good.\u2019<\/p>\n

Ahmed\u2019s first real taste of the Ashes came in 2023, when he was called into the squad ahead of the second Test but didn\u2019t play. That was the first time he had watched all five days of an Ashes Test and admits he has been gagging to play in one ever since.<\/p>\n

Regardless of whether it\u2019s in front of 60,000 in Perth or 100,000 at the MCG, he won\u2019t feel the pressure one bit. That\u2019s his style. After all, he made his England debut before he had even driven a car.<\/p>\n

\u2018That would be great (if I got to play),\u2019 he says. \u2018There\u2019s no nerves whatsoever. If I get the chance Inshallah (if God wills), I\u2019ll be used to the situation. That comes from experience even though I\u2019ve only played five Test matches.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m young but I\u2019ve got nearly five years of professional cricket experience. Age is almost irrelevant. It\u2019s been a good year but I\u2019ve got to keep learning.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Rehan Ahmed saw Joe Root with his pads on during Trent Rockets training last week, he made…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61528,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[13285,64,63,15060,2129,740,100,2133,17066,588,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-61527","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cricket","8":"tag-ashes","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-australia-cricket","12":"tag-ben-stokes","13":"tag-cricket","14":"tag-dailymail","15":"tag-england-cricket","16":"tag-joe-root","17":"tag-sport","18":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}