16-year-old Farhan Ahmed becomes youngest to take County Championship fifer
Farhan Ahmed, brother of England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, has set a new record in the County Championship. At just 16 years and 189 days old at the start of the match against Surrey, the Nottinghamshire prodigy became the youngest bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in the tournament's history. He went past Derbyshire's Hamidullah Qadri, who was 16 years and 203 days old when he took his first five-for against Glamorgan in his debut match back in 2017.
Farhan's impressive spell against Surrey
In the match that saw him break the record, Farhan dismissed Test players Rory Burns, Ben Foakes and Will Jacks on his way to a five-for. Despite Surrey amassing a score of 525, he managed to maintain an economical run rate of just over 2.76 runs per over. His final figures were an impressive 50.4-6-140-7, including dismissing centurion Sai Sudharsan (105) as the last wicket of the innings.
Farhan's journey to the top
Farhan's cricketing journey began early, with him representing Nottinghamshire in the One-Day Cup earlier this season and playing for the second XI as a 14-year-old in 2022. He had already set a record as Nottinghamshire's youngest County Championship player before his latest feat. This summer, he signed a professional contract with Notts, further solidifying his place in the team.
Farhan's international recognition and future aspirations
Farhan has already gained international recognition, taking 3-87 in England Lions's victory over Sri Lanka ahead of the ongoing Test series. He also holds the record as England U19's youngest player when he made his debut against Ireland last summer. Unlike his brother Rehan who is a leg-spinner, Farhan is an off-spinner. "You don't want two leg-spinners in the same team," Rehan told The Telegraph in 2022, hinting at their aspirations to play for England together.
