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Adil’s wristspin has been the cornerstone of England’s
white-ball setup for almost ten years.
Attempting to step into the shoes of a world-class
performance is nearly always futile. Furthermore, people who are chosen to
carry out this role hardly recognise the weight of expectation placed on their
expanding shoulders. Still, allow me to introduce Rehan Ahmed.
In the first ODI against the West Indies, Rehan was
England’s best bowler, taking 2 for 40 from his ten overs while spinning the
ball sharply in both directions. His googly is incredible; it’s possible that
it serves as more of a stock delivery for him than his legbreak. Rather than
Shane Warne, Rashid Khan is a modern-day legspinner. Furthermore, he can
smack the ball out of the ground with the bat too.
The fact that a prepared replacement is emerging in
front of our eyes is fortunate at a time when Rashid’s career is coming to an
end for England. It is impossible to say whether Rehan takes as many wickets as
Rashid has during his career. But one thing you can count on is that he will
offer a level of entertainment that very few other players in the game can
match.
“I don’t mind being hit for runs,” Rehan
said the day after England’s defeat. “I just want to take wickets. The
runs aren’t really part of it. I know there’s going to be a couple days where I
get it wrong and I get hit around, which I’m fine with, it’s just more when I’m
on top and I’m bowling well to [try to ] impact the game as much as I
can.”
“I think there was a couple of overs in there I
could have maybe attacked a bit more,” Rehan said a spell that looked
certain to have won England the match. “[I could have] played around with
the field a little bit more. But again I’m not seeking perfection and I felt
like I bowled very well. I think I challenged the stumps quite a bit. But
there’s always ways to improve.”