ENGLAND’S 13-YEAR-OLD SECRET WEAPON
IT’S way too soon to talk about England’s answer to Shane Warne, but a young leg spinner was turning heads in the Lord’s nets yesterday. Rehan Ahmed, a 13-year-old on Nottinghamshire’s books, was invited by MCC for the second year running to bowl at the teams. ‘He is an exceptional, precocious talent,’ said Steve Kirby, the head coach of MCC. ‘And one we should nurture and not over-coach. Nottinghamshire are doing a great job with him. We just want to allow him to play and flourish.’ Rehan last year dismissed Ben Stokes in the same nets and yesterday starred with the bat too, driving West Indies captain Jason Holder back over his head. ‘Mushtaq Ahmed was walking past last summer and, when he saw Rehan bowl, he stopped in his tracks,’ his father Naeem told Cricinfo. The game is trying to forge closer ties with south Asian communities, and Kirby added: ‘Hopefully seeing Rehan’s success will inspire other boys and girls to follow in his footsteps.’