Srinagar: England young spinner Rehan Ahmed has hailed Captain Ben Stokes about giving him and other muslim players in the team relaxation for the prayers.
“I remember a time in Abu Dhabi where there was a team day out on a Friday. 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,” Rehan was quoted by BBC.
“Stokes messaged me straight away 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,” Rehan told BBC Sport.
“Every time I pray he is so respectful, very understanding. Everyone is on this tour.”
Meanwhile, Rehan also thanked Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum for maintaining a healthy team environment.
“That just shows how great the team environment is. Tommy and Bash, you’ve seen them come in and not be nervous and that’s credit to the team”.
“They [Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum] just don’t care about how bad things can go. It’s always about what good you can get out of it”.
“So if I bowl four bad balls and get a wicket, that’s better than bowling 16 good balls in a row,” Rehan added.
With the series locked at 1-1, the teams will next head to Rajkot for the third Test, starting February 15 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.