"It would be awesome if he did" - Brendon McCullum thrilled by the prospect of seeing Rehan Ahmed in the IPL
England Test coach Brendon McCullum recently opened up about their latest debutant Rehan Ahmed ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction. It is scheduled to take place in Kochi on Friday, December 23.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach reckoned it would be a magnificent opportunity for the youngster and feels the management should encourage it. The youngster, who has set his base price at ₹40 lakhs, will go under the hammer on Friday afternoon.
Rehan, who made his Test debut against Pakistan in the third Test in Karachi, returned with figures of 7/137, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings.
I can’t put into words how I feel. Without my mothers prayers, I would never have got to this stage.
I’m forever grateful to my mum, who unfortunately wasn’t able to be here with me. However, her prayers are always with me regardless.
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Speaking to the BBC's Test Match Special, McCullum said he sees no reason why the 18-year-old should not be playing in the IPL. The former New Zealand skipper believes Rehan will gain experience by sharing the dressing room with several players from different countries if an opportunity comes.
"It would be great. It would be awesome if he did. Why not?" McCullum said. "Why not get an opportunity to go and play under different coaches and different captains and rub shoulders with different players and pick up those experiences?"
"What 18-year-old kid anywhere else in world cricket is going to get those chances?" he added. "I think we should encourage it. He's got a real future. He's a guy who has been on the radar of English cricket for a little while."
Rehan grabbed the headlines following his heroics for England in the U19 World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year. He snared 12 wickets in four games at an average of 12.58, while maintaining an economy rate of 4.19.
"The important thing for Rehan is that we continue to look after him" - Brendon McCullum
The 41-year-old claimed that managing Rehan and encouraging him to go get as much experience worldwide is critical as he won't be in every England squad. McCullum also feels the youngster will inspire the coming generation in England with his story.
"The important thing for Rehan is that we continue to look after him," he said. "He won't be in every squad and I'll encourage him to play as much franchise cricket as he can, and get as many experiences around the globe and play with different players, under different coaches and in different conditions. That's not just at Test level but in leagues as well."
"It will give other kids around England some motivation that if you work hard enough and you've got skill and the game is your passion, then you can actually achieve it, maybe sooner than you thought," McCullum added.
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Rehan already has 21 T20 wickets under his belt from 19 games, giving runs at an economy rate of 7.38. A couple of franchises will certainly have their eyes on the youngster after his dream Test debut.