Quote Originally Posted by The_Don_ORiordan View Post
And I agreed with you, but was concerned, rightly, that Smith was on 16 and would put on a score.



Rehan as I previously said, it was a stupid decision.
Why take a young spinner on tour, let him out bowl your main spinner, with a 5fer then when your main spinner gets injured you get him carrying drinks whilst you drag a guy who hasn’t bowled more than a few overs a day in anger in 2 years out of retirement. Who then isn’t up to playing more than a couple of tests…..

It’s no surprise we don’t have many spinners coming through with that attitude.
I actually think England are looking after Rehan Ahmed. The kid has hardly played cricket and is still learning his craft. He may well have bowled well on a spin friendly deck in Pakistan. That would hardly have given confidence that he could bowl well against the best test team in the world, who boast 3 of the the top 10 batters in the world. All on wickets that have hardly turned.
In all probability he would have got bullied out of the attack and probably never to play for England again. I fully expect he will tour India, but this series is way too early to risk his career.
The reality is that we have coped and had it not rained in Manchester, would still be in with a chance of winning the Ashes, all without a proper front line spinner.