Rehan Ahmed recalls incident when Ben Stokes prioritized his ‘Friday prayers’ over ‘team day out’

England spinner Rehan Ahmed recalled an incident when England Test skipper Ben Stokes prioritized his Friday prayers over a Team day out in Abu Dhabi. Rehan Ahmed also said that Ben Stokes is very respectful every time he prays.

Rehan Ahmed is also part of the ongoing IND vs ENG Test series. Notably, he was picked as a spinner in the series despite having an experience of just 1 Test. Ben Stokes also backed uncapped spinners Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir in the IND vs ENG Test series.

The right-arm spinner Ahmed has shown a decent show in two games so far. He accounts for 8 wickets across 2 Tests averaging 36.37. He has added 70 runs with the bat with a top knock of 28 in 1 innings.

Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah will be best seamer in T20 World Cup 2024 – Vernon Philander’s bold prediction

Rehan Ahmed recalls the incident when Ben Stokes prioritized his Friday Prayers

During a chat on BBC, batting all-rounder Rehan Ahmed heaped praise on Ben Stokes’ leadership. Ahmed recalled an incident when Stokes prioritized his Friday Prayers over a Team Day out in Abu Dhabi.

“I remember a time in Abu Dhabi where there was a team day out on a Friday. We had Friday prayers. Obviously me and Bash (Shoaib Bashir) were there. I messaged Wayno (Wayne Bentley), the team manager, asking if we could miss this day because we needed to pray”, Ahmed said.

“(Ben) Stokes messaged me straight away and said ‘come to me whenever you want this kind of stuff, I understand it fully. And yes, he’s stuck by his word. Every time I pray he is so respectful, very understanding. Everyone is on this tour”, the 19-year-old further added.

Also Read: Will Virat Kohli return in IND vs ENG Tests? BCCI official gives crucial update

Stokes and McCullum never care how bad things can go

Rehan Ahmed also hailed Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for the environment they have formed in England Cricket. He said that the environment has helped young players to be confident while bowling.

“Tommy and Bash (Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir), you’ve seen them come in and not be nervous and that’s a credit to the team. The environment and the leadership we have, it does make you kind of forget the players you are playing against – we just focus on what we need to do,” he said.

The bowling all-rounder also added that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum never care about how bad things can go.

“They (Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum) just don’t care how bad things can go. It’s always about what good you can get out of it. So if I bowl four bad balls and get a wicket, that’s better than bowling 16 good balls in a row”, Rehan Ahmed further added.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya unfollow each other on Instagram- Report

Meanwhile, Ben Stokes is all set to lead England in the 3rd Test against India. He led the side to victory in the opening Test. However, Team India bounced back with a win in the 2nd Test. The IND vs ENG 3rd Test begins on February 15 in Rajkot.