Get to know age-group prospect and Young Lion Farhan Ahmed, who is set to make his U19 World Cup debut for England later this month, in the next Academy Spotlight instalment.
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It appears to run in the family for 15-year-old Farhan Ahmed.
His leg-spinning older brother, Rehan, became England’s youngest male Test player aged just 18. Then there is Raheem, the eldest of the trio, a left-arm seamer who was part of Notts' Second XI last year.
Completing a hat-trick of bowling styles amongst the three, Farhan was inspired to choose off-spin by Australian stalwart Nathan Lyon, who he watched in awe when growing up.
The youngest by three years and 193 days, Farhan appears unstirred by the weight of a natural expectation in following his siblings into the professional game.
Whether in his England whites, donning Notts colours, or in his school blazer studying for his GCSEs, the Cavaliers and Carrington Cricket Club spinner has learned to make pressure his ally.
And although also the most junior of the existing Academy squad, Ahmed has earned tremendous respect amongst his peers - unsurprisingly so, considering his reserved and humble character.
“He’s incredibly down-to-earth,” says Matt Wood, Nottinghamshire’s Elite Pathway Manager.
“He practices hard and loves the game, and every challenge he’s come up against he has excelled in.
“With the trajectory he's been on over the last two or three years, he's been exceptional. He has always played above his own age group so, as a 15-year-old, going to the U19 World Cup (in South Africa this month) is a fantastic achievement for him.”
Having climbed the pathway system at Notts since the age of nine, making his Second XI debut in 2022 was a significant milestone for Ahmed, and playing second-team cricket for Nottinghamshire remains a valuable experience to him.
He took 2-22 on his Second XI T20 bow, including the dismissal of former Nottinghamshire seamer Luke Wood.
“Generally playing second team cricket at a young age has been my favourite memory at Notts so far,” Ahmed says.
“Playing alongside fellow Academy players in the second team has been really special as well.”
His efforts over the last summer were more than enough to turn heads at the ECB, earning a spot in the Young Lions' red and white-ball series against Australia in 2023 and tour to India more rcently.
With a World Cup debut now in his sights, Ahmed hopes to seize the moment and soak up the experience that lies ahead of him.
“Firstly, and most of all, I want to try and win the World Cup," he begins, "but secondly I want to learn how to bowl in pressure situations, which is what you're going to have out there.”
See more from the Academy prospect above.
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