‘Give me overs’: Rehan Ahmed has desire to be England’s next spin king

theguardian.com:

I f England wanted to put a positive spin on a trip to Bangladesh that ended with a T20 series whitewash they could find it in the integration of a positive spinner.

To watch Rehan Ahmed is to see a young cricketer apparently without fear. Parachuted into a squad full of World Cup winners, in difficult conditions and unfamiliar surroundings, the 18-year-old demanded the ball when in the field and the strike while at the crease. “I think that comes quite natural for me,” he says. “When I was playing in clubs where there are so many proper first-class bowlers and I was only 13 or 14 and I wasn’t getting overs, I just kept asking the captain: ‘Give me overs, give me overs.’ That’s just something I’ve grown up with. “I’ve always said that I’ve got here because I’ve worked for it.

At the same time as I’ve been starstruck by batting with someone, bowling at someone in the nets, or stood near someone in the field, I’ve still tried to do my job.

I’ve felt quite comfortable in this environment and that’s thanks to the lads and the coaches who have welcomed me in and not allowed me to feel like a stranger.