"Leicestershire comes first when I'm not playing for England": Spinner Rehan Ahmed wants to prioritise county cricket

New Delhi [India], March 30 : England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed said his goal this summer is to be ready to play for Three Lions at any time and in any format but the bowler also acknowledges he need to focus on his batting at Leicestershire in the upcoming County Championship, given that his leg spin is unlikely to be a key weapon this early in the season.
"I feel like I've got nothing to lose in this situation. I know I'm not the bowler I want to be in five years. I'm just the bowler I am today. So, I just try and do as well as I can, and at the same time enjoy it as much as I can," Rehan said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"We came close in a lot of games. We had a lot of opportunities to close games out, but I guess they just did it better than us. I personally gained a lot from it, a lot of experience, a lot of things I can use for my cricket to get better. And I enjoyed it more than anything else. [India is] one team that I'll always want to play. I loved it," he added.
Rehan has an additional tool at his disposal that he intends to use in the coming months. After scoring his first first-class century in the penultimate match of the 2022 season, he is keen on securing his place in the Leicestershire side with his batting and seizing opportunities with the ball when they arise.
"I've not been told anything [about spin coaching]. I'll be playing county cricket straightaway. Leicestershire comes first when I'm not playing for England. I didn't know if I wanted to play because I wanted a break, but I've had two weeks off and I just want to play again," he said.
"I'd need to see the team balance first. It's not a case that I come in and bat where I want. I've not been here all winter, the lads have been working hard so they deserve it first. So if I make the team and I play, then hopefully I'll get a bat," Rehan stated.
Rehan made headlines in 2022 as he became England's youngest men's Test player to take a five-wicket haul on his debut against Pakistan in Karachi and he continued to excel on Three Lions' current tour of India, bagging 11 wickets in three Tests despite his side's series defeat.
"I look back and I just can't believe I was part of it. I look back as a cricket fan, thinking that was crazy. But then me being part of that makes it even more mad," Rehan said.
"The Karachi win was great. The game at Rawalpindi [against Pakistan in 2022] when I was doing 12th man, that was unbelievable, and Hyderabad was probably the best. That was huge. It's just great. it's something that you wake up every day and it literally makes you happy to have been part of it," said the spinner.
Aside from his own brilliance, Rehan recognises that he has benefited much from playing under Ben Stokes' leadership, a captain whose determination to attack the match situation complements the abilities of his hungry young legspinner.
"Stokesy saying 'you're not bowling with a mid-on', I would have thought that's crazy, I don't think any other captain would say that to me. And to be fair, I'm just like, 'let's do it'. I don't want to bowl with a mid-on, Let's do as much as we can, and force the game on," Rehan said.
"I really enjoy that. I think that's what I enjoyed the most. Sometimes it gets the better of me when I get smacked around, but I don't have a single regret, thinking I could have done this or done that. I train at my club and the kids come to me as if I'm, like, the biggest player. No I'm not, I'm just a normal guy that tries to bowl. All you can do is keep believing in yourself," he added.
Recognising the difficulties given by early-season conditions in England, particularly for spinners, Ahmed understands the necessity of modifying his style and maximising opportunities to bowl, both in matches and in practice.
"It's April, going to be nipping round corners. I don't expect to bowl loads of overs because if the seamers are getting wickets, they are getting wickets. The team comes first. But if I know I'm not going to bowl in the day because Wrighty [Chris Wright] will probably get eight-for, I'll just try and bowl as much in the nets as I can," said the spinner.