Rehan Ahmed will MISS multiple County Championship games for Leicestershire this month as spin prodigy heads on pilgrimage to Mecca – but teenager will be back for England duty in May
- Rehan Ahmed will miss games against Sussex and Derbyshire in any case
- In addition, he could miss Northamptonshire’s visit to Grace Road
- The 19-year-old will be back in time to report for international duty in England
Rehan Ahmed will miss several County Championship games for Leicestershire to make a pilgrimage to Mecca this month.
England leg-spinner Ahmed is in attendance for the Foxes’ opening match against Yorkshire at Headingley, scoring 28 on the opening day, but will be absent for the Division Two encounters against Sussex and Derbyshire, and possibly also for the visit of Northamptonshire to Grace Road.
The 19-year-old is a practicing Muslim and has received the blessing of his provincial bosses and the English management to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
Ahmed, who featured in three Tests of India’s recent series, including the win in Hyderabad, before returning home for personal reasons, is not the first England international to put his confidence ahead of playing commitments during the domestic season.
Two years ago, Yorkshire’s Adil Rashid missed some of the Vitality Blast and half a dozen white-ball internationals against India to make the hajj – the pilgrimage that all adult followers of Islam are expected to undertake at least once in their lives, if they are physically fit. are able to do so and have the financial resources.
Rehan Ahmed will miss several games for Leicestershire this month as he makes a pilgrimage to Mecca
The England leg-spinner will be back in time for international duty in May, including the clashes against Pakistan
Moeen Ali performed Umrah during the winter months in both 2009 and 2017, citing the inspiring experience as having a positive effect on his performances.
The Hajj takes place in June and clashes with the Twenty20 World Cup which Ahmed hopes to be a part of.
He is expected to return from the Middle East well before England’s white-ball commitments in May, which include a team meeting and a four-match home fixture against Pakistan that will prepare them for their defense of the world title.