Rehan Ahmed set for white-ball debut as England name squads for Bangladesh tour

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February 02, 2023

Rehan Ahmed is set to make his England white-ball debut in Bangladesh next month.

Rehan, the 18-year-old legspinner who took seven wickets on Test debut in Karachi in December - including a second-innings five-for - has been named in the ODI and T20I squads for the tour, England's first to Bangladesh since 2016.

Saqib Mahmood returns for the ODI series, nearly a year after his most recent international appearance. He missed the entirety of England's 2022 home summer with a lower-back stress fracture. Mark Wood also returns after an extended break at the start of the year.

Tom Abell, the inventive middle-order batter who captains Somerset, has also been named in both squads and could win his first England cap. Abell will captain England Lions in Sri Lanka this month and has benefited from the absence of several more established players due to a clash with the Pakistan Super League, including Alex Hales and Sam Billings. Cricday understands that David Willey also opted out of the tour, in order to spend time with his family between the end of the SA20 and the start of his stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.

The tour starts in Dhaka on March 1, the day after England's second Test against New Zealand is due to end. As a result, there are no players involved in both the New Zealand tour and the ODI series - though Cricday understands Will Jacks could be considered for the ODIs if he is left out of the second New Zealand Test.

Jacks and Ben Duckett will arrive from New Zealand ahead of the T20I series, while Chris Jordan will also fly out for the T20I leg of the tour. They replace Jason Roy, James Vince and Mahmood, who will leave the tour after the ODI series.

Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone remain unavailable due to injury. Bairstow, speaking at the MCC's Cowdrey Lecture on Wednesday night, said "things are tracking in the right direction" after his freakish golfing injury in September, which ruled him out of England's winter. He is due to see a surgeon later this month and has no set return date. Like Livingstone, his Punjab Kings team-mate, he will hope to be fit enough to play in IPL 2023.

Rehan's inclusion gives him the opportunity to confirm his status as England's long-term replacement for Adil Rashid, and to press his case for inclusion in squads for the ODI and T20 World Cups in 2023 and 2024. He has only played seven List A games but has played 50-over cricket for England Under-19s and England Lions, and already has extensive short-form experience with Leicestershire (in the Blast), Southern Brave (the Hundred) and Gulf Giants (ILT20).

The ODI leg of the tour is part of the ICC's Super League, the qualification process for the 2023 World Cup, though both teams have already confirmed their spots. More pertinently, it is England's final away series before the World Cup, and offers preparation in subcontinental conditions against a Bangladesh side who are unbeaten in their last seven home ODI series.

ODI squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Tom Abell, Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

T20I squad: Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan replace Saqib Mahmood, Jason Roy and James Vince

Fixtures: 1st ODI - March 1 (Dhaka), 2nd ODI - March 3 (Dhaka), 3rd ODI - March 6 (Chattogram), 1st T20I - March 9 (Chattogram), 2nd T20I - March 12 (Dhaka), 3rd T20I - March 14 (Dhaka).

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