Champions Trophy: Rehan Ahmed Replaces Injured Carse In England Squad

(MENAFN- IANS) Dubai, Feb 24 (IANS) England have made a forced change to their ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 squad, with young leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed replacing fast bowler Brydon Carse, who has been ruled out due to an injury. The ICC Event Technical Committee has officially approved the replacement ahead of England's crucial group-stage matches.

"The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 has approved Rehan Ahmed as a replacement for Brydon Carse in the England squad," ICC said in a statement.

Carse, 29, played in England's tournament opener against Australia, where the defending champions chased down a stiff target to hand Jos Buttler's men a five-wicket defeat. However, Carse has been struggling with a persistent blister on his left foot, which has severely impacted his ability to bowl effectively.

His injury worsened after the opening match, forcing him to miss England's training session at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday. With concerns over his availability for the rest of the tournament, the team management opted to bring in Ahmed as a replacement.

Ahmed, the 19-year-old leg-spinner all-rounder, has already played six ODIs for England and has been regarded as a promising talent in the national setup. His inclusion adds a fresh spin-bowling option to England's squad, providing more variety alongside Adil Rashid.

Meanwhile, with semis qualification on the line, England will also consider making additional changes to their playing XI. Jamie Overton, who was left out of the first game, could now be in contention for a spot in the next match against Afghanistan as England look to recover from their opening defeat.

The approval of squad replacements in ICC tournaments is overseen by the Event Technical Committee, which consists of Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager – Cricket), Sarah Edgar (ICC Senior Manager – Events), Usman Wahla (PCB Director – International Cricket Operations), and former South African captain Shaun Pollock, who serves as an independent representative.

England will play their next group match against Afghanistan on Wednesday.

England: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood

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