Ben Stokes praises Rehan Ahmed before Test series against Pakistan

England Test captain Ben Stokes heaped praise on young bowling all-rounder Rehan Ahmed ahead of the three-match Test series against Pakistan.

In his brief first-class career, the spinner has taken nine wickets and scored 195 runs, including a century and a five-for against Derbyshire in the County Championship 2022.

Following his recent performance, the 18-year-old was included in England's 16-man squad for the red-ball series on Wednesday.

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"We've seen him as one of those very rare talents. To have someone at such a young age be so noticeable as a cricketer with the way that he bowls and the way that he bats. We saw it as an excellent opportunity to get him into the squad, get him around the group, get him into the environment," Stokes said.

"He's a fantastic talent, he loves cricket, and he just spends all his time shadow-batting in his room," he added. "He absolutely loves it. I'm really excited to have him into the squad, get him around the group, and see what he's got."

However, Stokes advised Ahmed not to be overly scrutinised at this time because he is still growing.

"We're also fully aware that he's not the finished project yet. I think it's important for his inclusion not be to be looked into too much," the all-rounder said.

"We see this as an opportunity to get someone as talented as Rehan into the squad, nurture him, and then who knows where we could be in two to three years?

"If we feel like we want to chuck him a Test cap, then we're in a position to do that as well."

If Rehan makes his England debut during the series, he will become the country's youngest Test player.

As per the current schedule, England is set to arrive in Islamabad on November 27. The English team is scheduled to play three Tests: Rawalpindi from December 1-5, Multan from December 9-13, and Karachi from December 17-21.