Adil Rashid is currently one of the best leg-spinners in the world, but his career has been hampered by England’s unwillingness to employ him as a premium spinner in the longer format of the game.
Background
Rashid is from the Mirpuri tribe, and his family moved to England from Kashmir in 1967. Rashid has shown promise since he was a boy. Terry Jenner first noticed him when he was 14 years old. In 2006, he featured in four games for Yorkshire Second XI, scoring four centuries in a row.
Debut
Rashid’s first experience of international cricket came when he represented England in the World T20 2009 competition, where he appeared in four of England’s five matches.
He took 1/11 in his first ODI against Ireland in Belfast, with his team edging out a narrow victory. Later ODIs against Australia saw the crafty bowler play, but he was unreliable to say the least.
Rise to Glory
Ironically, it took six years for the leg-spinner to make the squad in the longer version of the tournament.
He had a rocky start to his test career, as he was thrashed all over the park in his debut against Pakistan in the first innings. Even though his side lost, he bounced back in style in the second innings, picking up a five-wicket haul.
In a newly overhauled English limited-overs side that played brave cricket, Rashid found some balance with both bat and ball, gradually becoming an integral part of Eoin Morgan’s squad.
Low Point
Rashid finds it difficult to secure a permanent spot in an England team that has a history of ignoring spin bowling.
Then England had a series of test matches against Bangladesh and India planned, the bowling all-rounder had a golden chance to make a point.
Rashid bowled well and even picked up a few wickets, but his failure to keep track of run scoring returned to haunt him, and he finally fell down the pecking order.
Club Career
Rashid’s all-round skills, as well as his relative ease with white ball cricket, have made him a valuable asset to every T20 franchise. The leg spinner has put in solid results for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.
The selectors’ preference for Mason Crane as a lone spinner in recent Ashes matches is a strong sign that England is considering Rashid as a limited overs specialist, potentially putting an end to his test ambitions.
Rashid has recently signed a white-ball contract with Yorkshire, indicating that he has agreed that limited-overs cricket is his future and that he would like to dedicate his whole focus to it.