Shock at Test call for ‘white ball’ Rashid
● Yorkshire leg-spinner hasn’t played in a long format match for 10 months
Adil Rashid is in line to play his first home Test after his shock recall to a 13-man England squad which also features uncapped seamer Jamie Porter.
Rashid’s inclusion with fellow spinner Moeen Ali for England’s 1,000th Test against India at Edgbaston, which starts on Sunday, is in spite of his decision to quit all firstclass cricket as he prepares for next year’s home World Cup.
It is an unprecedented move by national selector Ed Smith and his colleagues to pick the 30-year-old Yorkshire legspinner at a time when he has not played a red-ball match for 10 months.
Porter’s call-up, in place of Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes – who England believe is still short of his best as he returns from injury and will therefore miss his home Test – is also a surprise.
But it is Rashid’s return, after winning the last of his 10 Test caps in Chennai more than 18 months ago, which will dominate the headlines.
It comes on the back of his much-improved white-ball international form and follows a personal guarantee to England that he will re-commit long-term to Test cricket.
Smith said: “Before the selection meeting, Adil had confirmed his availability to play Test cricket for England for the whole of this summer and upcoming winter tours to Sri Lanka and West Indies.
“Following his decision in February 2018, Adil has a white-ball only contract for Yorkshire this summer. That arrangement is unchanged by his selection for England. However, Adil fully understands that if he wishes to be eligible for Test cricket in the 2019 season, he must have a county contract to play fourday cricket. Moving forward, England Test players must be committed to the county championship.
“Clearly, the one-off circumstances around Adil’s return to the Test squad are unusual. However, the selection panel was unanimous in believing that Adil should be selected.
Rashid was not expecting England to make the overture,
and had to think seriously before accepting the offer.
“It was definitely a tough decision and yes, obviously, I was kind of surprised,” he said.
“To get back in the Test side, usually people have got to go back to their counties and perform to be considered. But me and Ed Smith, and a few others, had a chat, and they were thinking, if I can be available, we’ll be happy for me to be in the squad.
“That’s something I had to think about, and I made that decision to be available.”
Rashid’s case was underlined when he bowled India captain Virat Kohli with a memorable leg-break as England clinched the one-day international series on his home ground at Headingley last week. Porter, meanwhile, impressed for Essex in last year’s county championshipwinning campaign and for England Lions.
Moeen is back in the Test reckoning for the first time since his miserable Ashes winter, and Somerset spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess will both join England’s preparations in Birmingham despite being left out of the squad.
Smith added: “The selection panel felt Chris Woakes needed a little more time to regain full form.
“We are keen to avoid rushing him back from injury too soon.”