England’s Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir excited to play Pakistan

England cricket’s newest check sequence in Pakistan holds a particular significance for 2 of the crew’s spinning stars.

Bowlers Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir will likely be competing in opposition to the nation the place their fathers had been born.

Ahmed, 20, has fond reminiscences of competing in Pakistan, having began his England profession there lower than two years in the past.

He turned the youngest man to play check cricket for England and the youngest leg-spinner to take a five-wicket haul on his debut.

For Bashir although, it’ll be his first time enjoying within the nation.

“I’m wanting ahead to it, however will probably be a bit bizarre due to how a lot we watch Pakistan cricket [in the family],” the 20-year-old tells BBC Asian Community.

“Rising up, I’ve all the time watched and love the best way they play.

“I used to play cricket within the backyard with my brother and he was England and I was Pakistan or vice-versa.

“It was actually simply these two groups.

“To be within the place I’m now, I look again and I’m very grateful,” Bashir says.

Each Bashir and Ahmed, together with Adil Rashid and lately retired Moeen Ali are seen as function fashions amongst British South Asians.

Roughly 30% of leisure cricketers in England and Wales are from British South Asian backgrounds however fewer than 5% are skilled.

Former England and Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq’s testimony about experiencing racism and discrimination within the sport led to issues about deterring younger gamers seeking to go professional.

One programme put in place by authorities searching for to bridge the hole is the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA).

It really works carefully with cricketers by teaching and mentoring them earlier than attempting to safe a contract with home groups.

Final week Jafer Chohan turned the first graduate of SACA to be named in an England squad, incomes his call-up for a white-ball tour of the West Indies.

Bashir says he is glad an academy now exists, as a result of his personal route into the England squad may not have occurred however for a tremendous stroke of luck.

He was launched by Surrey as a teen earlier than being signed by Somerset.

It was solely after check captain Ben Stokes noticed a viral video of Bashir bowling to former England captain Sir Alastair Cook dinner that the spinner was fast-tracked into the nationwide facet, making his debut in February.

“I used to be very lucky Stokesy noticed that.

“I believe folks’s journeys are totally different and the best way folks come into the facet, it doesn’t rely upon averages or statistics.

“It depends upon attributes and what you possibly can deliver to a crew,” Bashir says.

“My journey hasn’t been the simplest. 18 months in the past I used to be in a determined search to play skilled cricket, I needed to nowhere to go however since signing my contract I haven’t regarded again.

“I’m grateful to play cricket as a career, and to symbolize your nation is arguably the largest factor.”

Rehan Ahmed, who grew up in Nottingham and performs for Leicestershire, is a big fan of the academy.

“They’ve produced plenty of skilled cricketers and it’s an excellent initiative,” he says.

He feels the number of Jafer Chohan is an indication of change in the best way England seems at younger expertise.

“Clearly there may be all the time room for enchancment, however for Jafer to be picked, [having not played] so many video games this summer time – it reveals England usually are not closed off.

“It’s how you propose your individual journey. Some folks can count on it to occur for them, however some individuals who actually need it should make it occur a technique or one other.

“We really feel safe, when it comes to if we don’t do nicely, we all know we gained’t be handled wrongly.

“We additionally know we’re backed 100% which may be very good,” Ahmed says.

Take heed to Ankur Desai’s present on BBC Asian Community dwell from 15:00-18:00 Monday to Thursday – or hear again right here.