England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has opened up on the sweet gesture his captain Ben Stokes showed when the team was training in the UAE before their England tour.
The 19-year-old, who picked six wickets in the second Test match against India in Visakhapatnam, said that Stokes gives him reprieve from training sessions whenever he has to offer prayers.
According to Ahmed, Stokes’ astute man-management skills extends beyond cricket. A teenage British Asian and a practising Muslim in the Bazball surrounding, Ahmed doesn’t face any issue getting time off for Friday prayers, even at the expense of training.
“I remember a time in Abu Dhabi where there was a team day out on a Friday,” said Ahmed. “We had Friday prayers. Obviously me and Bash (Bashir) were there. I messaged Wayno (Wayne Bentley), the team manager, asking if we could miss this day because we needed to pray. “Stokes messaged me straightaway and said ‘come to me whenever you want about this kind of stuff, I understand it fully’. And yes he’s stuck by his word. “Every time I pray he is so respectful, very understanding. Everyone is on this tour.”