Calcutta/London: England leg-spinner Adil Rashid has said he is open to the possibility of making a Test return for the series against India, just months after he opted out of playing red-ball cricket to concentrate on the shorter formats.
The 30-year-old signed a white-ball-only contract with Yorkshire in February, though he did not completely rule out a comeback to multi-day matches at the time.
Rashid played his 10th and last Test against India in Chennai in December 2016, but was overlooked for the home series against South Africa and West Indies, as well as the subsequent Ashes tour. He was England’s best bowler in their 2-1 triumph in the ODI series against India which concluded earlier this week, prompting talk of a possible Test return.
“Right now I’m focussing on white-ball cricket for Yorkshire... But if England do want me to be part of the squad for the Test series (against India), then I’ll consider it,” Rashid wrote in his diary for Sky Sports.
“I made the decision earlier this year to focus on playing white-ball cricket to see how it felt, but always knew that if I found I was missing red-ball cricket, then I would go back to it. So, if the selectors come and show faith in me, then I would consider it, whatever role they want me to play.”
Jos Buttler has returned to the England Test set-up on the back of his strong run of form in the Indian Premier League, and England coach Trevor Bayliss did not rule out Rashid’s return via limited-overs cricket.
“That’s a decision Adil has got to make,” Bayliss said. “I’m not sure whether (chief selector) Ed Smith has had a chat with him or not.
“Could he get picked in the Test team on white-ball form? It’s already happened once this year. I’m sure he’ll be up for discussion, definitely.
“This year is probably the best we’ve seen him bowl. His control and his consistency has been top class.”
The first match of the five-Test series starts at Edgbaston on August 1.
However, according to a report in British daily The Daily Telegraph, England will risk igniting a club-versus-country row and a backlash from the County game if they pick Rashid in their Test squad after he told Yorkshire he will not change his mind over playing County Championship cricket.
Rashid, the report said, has told Yorkshire he will not play championship cricket for them. Yorkshire play a crucial Roses match against Lancashire starting on Sunday with England Test captain Joe Root in the side and would like to have Rashid available. Ideally England would want him to play too to get some red-ball cricket under his belt before playing in a Test match against the world’s best players of spin.
It leaves the England management in a difficult position. If they pick a player who refuses to play the domestic first-class game, it will cause fury within the County game with many feeling it denigrates further the standing of the County Championship and could set an example to other players who might feel they do not need to endure the slog of four-day cricket to be picked for England.
Rashid took 20 wickets this summer in ODI cricket and bowled a perfect leg-break when he dismissed Virat Kohli at Headingley in the series decider on Tuesday.
Kohli looked dumbfounded after he was bowled by a leg-break from Rashid that pitched on leg-stump, turned, beat the bat of one of the world’s most high profile batsman and hit the top of off-stump.
According to the report, Rashid has signed a contract with Melbourne Stars to play in upcoming edition of the Big Bash.
If he were to recommit to Test cricket he could still have a career ahead of him. England tour Sri Lanka before Christmas and West Indies in the new year and both destinations will offer Rashid helpful pitches to bowl on.
