Tests may not be the ultimate dream for all players, says Rashid

Adil Rashid says English cricket will have to become used to the idea of Twenty20 specialists.

Rashid announced this year he would play only limited-overs cricket for Yorkshire before later changing his mind when offered a controversial Test recall.

“There’s always the ultimate goal of playing Test cricket, playing for your country, but as time goes on things may change,” he told Talksport. “There are Twenty20 competitions all around the world, more competitions keep coming each year, and it may happen down the line that people just want to be T20 players.

“I think coaches, players, teams have got to start accepting that’s going to happen. It’s happening in other parts of the world – the West Indies for example.”

Rashid is currently as crucial to England’s plans as he has ever been, a central cog in the 3-1 victory over Sri Lanka in the one-day series, a certainty for tomorrow’s T20 international and set for a major role in next month’s three-match Test series on spin-friendly surfaces.

It was, though, just three months ago that his former Yorkshire teammate, and Ashes-winning England captain, Michael Vaughan, labelled his Test recall “a stab in the back for the county game”.

That was not the only criticism, yet Rashid insists he was able to brush off any negativity.

“At the time I didn’t feel much, I wasn’t taking note of what people were saying,” he said. “I don’t follow what people say about me, good or not so good. It doesn’t faze me in the sense that I knew what my task ahead was and what I want to achieve. Whatever decisions I made, I know there are no regrets.”

Meanwhile, Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes has been added to England’s Test squad in Sri Lanka as cover for Jonny Bairstow.

Bairstow sustained ligament damage in his right ankle while playing football on the eve of the penultimate one-day international.

He has already been ruled out of tomorrow’s Twenty20 match.