Adil Rashid – Yorkshire & England?
Should the Leg-Spinning All-Rounder be in the Test Match Team?
A cricketing gem may have been unearthed in Bradford's Asian community. Adil Rashid has been lighting up Headingley - can he do it on an international level?
Whisper it very quietly, but Yorkshire County Cricket Club may well have stumbled across English cricket’s equivalent of the Holy Grail – an all-rounder that bowls leg spin.
Adil Rashid – Yorkshire & England? England’s search for an all-rounder
Until Andrew Flintoff came on the horizon, England had been seeking out a genuine all-rounder since the retirement of Ian Botham. Plenty of players, such as Chris Lewis, Dominic Cork, Ben Hollioake and Phil Defreitas, were shoehorned into the role, but none of them really cut the mustard.
Then Flintoff came and finally England had a replacement for Botham, but such is Flintoff’s injury record and woeful current form with the bat that it seems as though that hunt may be starting again very soon.
Adil Rashid – Yorkshire & England? Excitement at Headingley in Leeds
Over at Headingley in Leeds, Yorkshire, excitement is brewing however. A young player from Bradford’s Asian community broke into the side in July 2006. On his debut, Adil Rashid took six wickets for 67 runs with his leg spin to help Yorkshire win their County Championship match against Warwickshire. Rashid then followed that up by scoring a century in an Under 19s Test match against India. His form has continued in the 2007 season, and there has already been talk of the youngster receiving a full England call-up.
Adil Rashid – Yorkshire & England? An English equivalent to Shane Warne
Whilst England have been searching for an all-rounder for a long time, they have also been desperately looking for a quality spin bowler. Realistically, England have not possessed a match-winning spinner since the days of Derek Underwood (and that’s a long time ago). Since that time, the likes of Phil Tufnell, John Emburey and Ashley Giles have done their job at times, whilst Richard Illingworth, Ian Salisbury and Chris Schofield have been tried and quickly discarded. Now, in Monty Panesar, England appear to have found a spinner of genuine international standard. However, what the selectors have really been looking for is an English equivalent to Shane Warne, the Australian genius who redefined leg-spin bowling. Rashid bowls leg-spin, and rather well. It’s no coincidence that he is being coached by Terry Jenner, Warne’s coach.
Adil Rashid – Yorkshire & England? The right time?
It seems almost inevitable that Adil Rashid will play for England in Test matches at some point, but when is the right time? Some are pushing for him to be picked as soon as possible, forming a dual-pronged spin attack with Monty Panesar. Many, including BBC commentator and professional Yorkshireman Geoffrey Boycott, are urging the selectors to hold off. Boycott believes that Rashid is too young and not quite ready to be exposed at international level yet. Is he right? Only time will tell.
