England spinners Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed recently opened up about their experiences during the ongoing Test series against Pakistan, particularly highlighting their Urdu language skills and how they tried to interpret the Pakistani players’ conversations mid-match. Bashir shared a humorous incident involving Pakistan’s wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, who cleverly tried to outwit him by switching languages.
Bashir, who has made a notable impact in the series by taking six wickets, admitted that although his spoken Urdu isn’t perfect, he can understand the language well enough. While playing in the Multan Test, he could pick up on what the Pakistan players were discussing on the field.
This gave him a slight edge, as he could provide helpful hints to his teammates, including captain Ben Stokes. Bashir recalled, “Sometimes the Pakistan team speaks in Urdu, and I’ll tell Ben Stokes, ‘He’s going to slog it over mid-wicket.’”
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However, the crafty Mohammad Rizwan quickly caught on to Bashir’s knowledge of Urdu. When Bashir came out to bat, Rizwan, always known for his chatter behind the stumps, called out to his teammates and said, “This guy understands Urdu, let’s speak Pashto!” Bashir, not familiar with Pashto—a regional language spoken in parts of Pakistan—was left baffled by this clever switch. He laughingly admitted, “I had no idea what was being said after that.”
Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir have been using their Urdu skills in Pakistan, sometimes to the team’s benefit! 💬🤣#BBCCricket #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/TEqu09tB2B
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) October 22, 2024
Despite their Pakistani heritage, both Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed expressed their loyalty to England. Bashir, whose mother was born in the UK, said that while he has a soft spot for Pakistan, England is his primary team. “I was born in England, so I’ve always been an England fan. But whenever Pakistan played, I supported them as my second team,” he shared.
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Rehan Ahmed echoed similar sentiments, saying his Urdu is decent enough for casual conversation, although it’s a bit mixed. The duo’s cultural ties have created a unique bond as they bridge both English and Pakistani influences on and off the field. As the three-match series heads to its final Test in Rawalpindi, Bashir and Ahmed will partner with Jack Leach to form England’s three-pronged spin attack, hoping to make a decisive impact.
