Rehan Ahmed Discloses Brendon McCullum's 'Bat Like Sehwag' Directive in England's Dramatic Victory
England's rising star Rehan Ahmed has revealed that head coach Brendon McCullum delivered a pivotal piece of advice before his crucial innings against New Zealand, telling him to "bat like Virender Sehwag". This instruction came as England faced a daunting challenge in their final Super 8 match of the T20 World Cup, needing 43 runs from just 19 balls when Ahmed arrived at the crease.
A Remarkable Partnership Under Pressure
The 21-year-old all-rounder, making his maiden World Cup appearance, had already contributed with the ball, taking two wickets for 28 runs after replacing Jamie Overton. However, it was with the bat that he truly shone, forming an unbroken 44-run stand with Will Jacks in only 16 deliveries. This partnership on a challenging spinning wicket in Colombo propelled England to a four-wicket victory, securing top spot in their group with three consecutive wins.
Ahmed finished unbeaten on 19 from seven balls, describing it as the most intense pressure situation of his young career. McCullum, observing from the England balcony, relayed the Sehwag-inspired advice via walkie-talkie to Ahmed, who was waiting pitch-side before his innings. "Baz actually sent one of the walkie talkie messages downstairs, saying 'tell Reh to bat like Sehwag'," Ahmed disclosed. "Yesterday in training on a similar wicket, I was trying to play that certain way. I was trying to hit sixes straight because the role I'll be in the team will be similar to the way I've trained for that."
Will Jacks Continues Stellar Tournament Form
Jacks earned his fourth player of the match award of the tournament, matching the record set by former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson in the 2012 T20 World Cup. His part-time off-spin claimed the wickets of key New Zealand batsmen Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips, before he delivered another explosive performance batting at number seven. "Ideally I would do nothing because I'm the extra bowler and extra batter," Jacks remarked. "If I didn't bowl and didn't bat, that would mean we'd have had that perfect game that we keep speaking about. At the end of the day, no one really cares, we obviously want to play well but we're not gutted we haven't played a perfect game. That's T20 cricket."
Jacks emphasized the team's composure in critical moments, stating: "What we've done well is in the key moments, we've kept a calm and clear head and we've managed to get those rewards. Having won all three games in the Super 8s now, everyone in that team is on a high."
England's Path Forward and Captain's Form Concerns
England's successful chase of New Zealand's 159 for seven sets up a likely semi-final clash against either India or the West Indies in Mumbai. New Zealand captain Mitch Santner acknowledged England's formidable momentum, admitting: "I wouldn't want to be facing them."
Despite the team's success, concerns persist over the form of captain Jos Buttler, who was dismissed for a two-ball duck, extending his run to just 15 runs in his last five innings. Jacks, however, expressed confidence in his teammate's ability to rebound during the knockout stages. "Knockout cricket is a different beast," Jacks added. "It is a one-off day. Anyone can play a match-winning innings and that's that. Form means nothing. The beauty of the guys we have at the top is they don't change the way they play. They are very selfless and team first. We know whoever we come up against they will be putting them under pressure."
England now returns to India with renewed confidence, buoyed by McCullum's innovative coaching approach and Ahmed's match-winning response to the Sehwag-inspired directive.
