England on Tuesday picked Rehan Ahmed as a third slow bowler for the series-deciding final Test against Pakistan on a dry Rawalpindi pitch which is expected to take spin. The 20-year-old leg-spinner will form a three-pronged spin attack when the match begins Thursday alongside left-armer Jack Leach and off-break bowler Shoaib Bashir.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The three-match series is level at 1-1 after England won the first Test by an innings and 47 runs in Multan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistan used the same pitch for the second match which they won by 152 runs, with their spinners taking all 20 wickets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Seam bowler Gus Atkinson was recalled with fast bowlers Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts dropping out of the side.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"There are two changes from the second Test in Multan with seamer Gus Atkinson returns and leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is included," said an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ahmed, who took five wickets on his Test debut in Karachi in England's thumping 3-0 sweep of Pakistan in 2022, is included for the first time since a Test against India in Rajkot earlier this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
England's decision to bring in a third spinner is prompted by another grass-less pitch prepared at Rawalpindi with Pakistan deploying industrial-sized fans and patio heaters to dry the square.<\/p>\r\n\r\n