The 22-year-old will feature in a series comprising three T20 matches and five one-day games against West Indies A in St Kitts and Nevis next month. The tour will mark Jonathan Trott's first assignment as England Lions head coach following Andrew Flintoff's resignation.
Ahmed's inclusion comes after a disappointing showing in two ODIs against Sri Lanka last month. Despite recently signing a new central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), he has not been selected for England's upcoming white-ball tours.
The Lions assignment is expected to provide Ahmed with an opportunity to regain his form and strengthen his case for a return to the national side. He has been named in both squads, with Thomas Rew appointed T20 captain and Dan Lawrence set to lead the 50-over team.
Trott emphasised the importance of the Lions programme in preparing players for international cricket and helping them push for senior-team selection.
"I want to create a culture where England players will benefit from coming back and working in this environment to push for national team selection across formats and by performing and helping the Lions to win games of cricket," Trott said.
He added that he was excited to work with a talented group of players and highlighted the role the Lions programme had played in his own career.
The squads include nine players who have recently signed England contracts for the 2026-27 season. Ahmed, Lawrence and Sam Cook hold full central contracts, while Mason Crane, James Coles, Rew, Ben McKinney, Eddie Jack and Liam Patterson-White have development contracts.
England managing director Rob Key recently stressed the importance of Lions cricket, particularly in the 50-over format. He said players on development contracts would be expected to make themselves available for Lions tours, even if doing so meant missing some franchise opportunities during the winter.
Meanwhile, Coles, Jack and Thomas Rew will leave the tour after the third one-day international to join England's T20I series in Australia. Asa Tribe's availability for the opening T20 fixtures could also be affected by his commitments with Jersey in the Cricket World Cup Challenge League in Kenya.
Rew's appointment as T20 captain follows his success in leading England Under-19s to the World Cup final in Zimbabwe earlier this year. His elder brother, James Rew, has been included in both squads despite missing out on an ECB development contract. Ben Mayes, another member of the Under-19 World Cup squad, has also been selected for both formats.
Worcestershire seamer Adam Finch has earned his maiden Lions call-up after impressing in the T20 Blast. Yorkshire all-rounder Matt Revis, however, has missed selection after reportedly undergoing Achilles surgery.
The West Indies A series forms part of a busy winter schedule for the Lions, who are also due to tour South Africa from November 25 to December 23 and Sri Lanka from February 18 to March 14. The South African tour will include two four-day matches.
Cricket West Indies chief executive Chris Dehring previously said the Lions' visit would give prospective ODI players an opportunity to strengthen their claims for selection ahead of next year's World Cup qualifiers. The tour follows the cancellation of the regional Super50 competition.
England Lions T20 Squad
Thomas Rew (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Scott Currie, Adam Finch, Calvin Harrison, Jack Haynes, Eddie Jack, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Liam Patterson-White, James Rew, Naavya Sharma, Ekansh Singh and Asa Tribe.
England Lions 50-Over Squad
Dan Lawrence (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Coles, Sam Cook, Mason Crane, Adam Finch, Jack Haynes, Eddie Jack, Ben Kellaway, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Liam Patterson-White, James Rew, Thomas Rew, Naavya Sharma, Ekansh Singh and Asa Tribe.
James Coles, Eddie Jack and Thomas Rew will leave the tour after the third one-day match to join England's T20I series in Australia.
West Indies A vs England Lions: Fixtures
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November 1, 3 and 4: Three-match T20 series at Conaree Sports Club.
- November 7, 9, 11, 14 and 16: Five-match one-day series, with the third match at Conaree Sports Club and the remaining games at Warner Park.
The Caribbean tour will be a crucial opportunity for Ahmed and other emerging players to demonstrate their ability, regain momentum and strengthen their chances of representing England at the international level.