My mind and heart is not in Test cricket: Adil Rashid

Adil Rashid was the leading wicket-taker for England with 23-wicket in the Test series against India.

Adil Rashid | Getty Images

England leg-spinner Adil Rashid said his heart no longer feels he can help the team whether be it national side or Yorkshire in the red-ball cricket and that’s why he decided to play only white-ball cricket for both teams at the moment.

Recently, Rashid, who has been a regular member in the international squad for limited-overs cricket, had signed the only white-ball contract with Yorkshire to concentrate only on the limited overs’ game.

Rashid told Espncricinfo, “It’s very much my decision. It’s something that I’ve thought about and felt I had to do, and has been inside me for a little while. The enjoyment, the spark, the buzz. All that came into it. I couldn’t go through another season doing this — it could affect my performance, my bowling and that could easily rub off into other competitions and white-ball stuff.”

The right-arm bowler further said, “Last year playing red-ball cricket for Yorkshire, my thought was that if I wasn’t giving 100 percent then I would be letting the team down and also myself down. It was a decision made purely because of how I felt playing red-ball cricket at this time. My mind’s not there, my heart’s not there, I’m letting the team down but also myself down.”

Rashid, who has played 10 Tests for England, and has taken 38 wickets at an average of 42.78, said it is uncertain whether he will return to the longest format of the game again.

He signed off by saying, “It’s not a permanent thing. It’s for this season, to see how it goes, how it unfolds and what happens. See what my mind says and what my heart feels. If it changes I could be going back to red ball cricket next season. That’s a long way away, and a lot can change. At this moment in time, I’m very content with what I’m doing.”

 

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 24 Feb, 2018

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