An Oddsworth Opinion
What does Rehan Ahmed's Test record say about Mason Crane's call-up?
Among fans and pundits, Mason Crane's return to England's squad ahead of Rehan Ahmed reads like a judgment on the two legspinners. Ahmed's Test against Pakistan in October 2024 makes that judgment difficult: he took four wickets for 66 runs, with a bowling average of 16.5 against 29.29 for bowlers in men's Tests from September 2024 to September 2026. That Pakistan outing deserves more weight than the squad decision alone. England saw Ahmed take wickets when they gave him the ball.
The spell England must weigh
England's reservations about Ahmed have a match to point to. Against India in February 2024, he took three wickets for 193 runs from 47 overs. He kept bowling while the runs mounted, which is a serious concern for a side asking its legspinner to stay in the attack through a long innings. It gives Crane's call-up a cricketing logic without telling us how he would fare in the same position.
Ahmed has given England a reason to persist with him, too. His five Tests have brought 22 wickets, beginning with seven wickets for 137 runs against Pakistan in December 2022. The India spell shows the cost when those wickets do not come quickly enough. It should sharpen the argument about Ahmed's place rather than end it. England have already seen what he can contribute when his bowling gets through a side.
4.4 a match in his career
What Ahmed offers England
Ahmed has offered little with the bat across those Tests, so his case rests on the bowling he can sustain. Even in the October 2024 Pakistan Test, his economy rate was 3.74 runs an over, against 3.51 for bowlers in men's Tests over the same period. Four wickets made that spell valuable; the runs conceded explain why England might still want to see another legspinner in the squad. Crane's arrival puts pressure on Ahmed to offer more control alongside his wickets, a fair demand after India.
The choice is still open
Crane has the squad place, and Ahmed's expensive India spell gives England a clear reason to try him. But the call-up cannot tell us whether Crane will take wickets more often or concede fewer runs. Ahmed has taken wickets against Pakistan and India, even if India showed how much those wickets could cost. Give Crane his chance in the squad and keep Ahmed in contention. His Test performances do not establish Crane as the better choice.