England Skipper Stokes Praises Young Ahmed’s Resilience After Visa Scare
England captain Ben Stokes has lauded teenager Rehan Ahmed for his calm demeanor after a visa scare threatened his participation in the crucial third Test against India starting tomorrow.
Ahmed, a 19-year-old leg-spinner, initially faced issues on returning to India due to an expired single-entry visa following the team’s mid-series break in the UAE.
Thankfully, he was granted a temporary permit while authorities resolved the paperwork mistake, allowing him to join the squad and potentially make his Test debut.
“It was an anxious wait, but we managed to sort it out this morning,” Stokes said on the eve of his 100th Test. “The great thing about youth is their resilience, and Rehan handled the situation incredibly well.”
This incident marks the second visa-related hurdle England has faced on the tour, with teammate Shoaib Bashir missing the opening Test due to similar issues. However, Stokes emphasized finding solutions rather than assigning blame.
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“When problems arise, we focus on finding solutions,” he stated. “We’ve faced two such situations, but we immediately worked towards getting Rehan back, instead of dwelling on whose fault it was.”
Ahmed, England’s youngest cricketer across all formats, has already impressed with eight wickets in the series at an average of 36.37. His inclusion comes at the cost of spinner Shoaib Bashir, as England opts for a pace-heavy attack with Mark Wood returning alongside James Anderson.
The Rajkot pitch appears hard with a slight green tinge, prompting cautious optimism from Stokes after England’s previous drawn encounter here in 2016.
“Taking cues from the past, it was a flat wicket,” he admitted. “This one looks good too, hence the decision to include an extra seamer for potential swing assistance.”
The upcoming match marks a significant milestone for Stokes, who becomes the 16th Englishman to reach 100 Tests. However, the all-rounder remains focused on the bigger picture.
“Milestones are milestones,” he said. “But I’m more excited about the challenge of playing India, the atmosphere, and the contest it brings.”
With the series tied 1-1, both teams head into the Rajkot Test with much at stake. Ahmed’s potential debut, coupled with England’s adjusted bowling attack, adds another layer of intrigue to this pivotal match.
