Michael Vaughan denounces Rashid recall to England Test squad

Adil Rashid took 12 wickets in 5 ODIs against Australia and 6 wickets in 3 matches against India and has been in good form. Michael Vaughan's objection to the leggie's recall to England's Test squad is not the first of its kind

Adil Rashid Getty Images (File Photo)

Former England captain Michael Vaughan expressed deep discontentment with the decision to recall leg-spinner Adil Rashid for the first Test against India at Birmingham. Yorkshire player, Rashid was included in a 13-man party announced by England national selector Ed Smith on Thursday.

Vaughan, himself a former Yorkshire batsman expressed his displeasure over Rashid’s selection on Twitter thus:

So we have picked someone who cannot be arsed with 4 day cricket for the Test Team … Forget whether he is good enough or not I find this decision ridiculous … !!!

Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) July 26, 2018

Earlier, Rashid had signed a contract with Yorkshire where he opted out of playing first-class County Championship season this year. Playing in the Championship has long been the traditional pathway to Test selection but Rashid has been recalled on the basis of his recent impressive One-Day International performances against Australia and India. He took 12 wickets in 5 ODIs against Australia and 6 wickets in 3 matches against India. The delivery with which he cleaned up India captain Virat Kohli at Headingley got the observers talking and there were murmurs afloat as to his possible selection for the first Test.

Rashid won the last of his 10 Test caps away in India more than 18 months ago, but Smith stressed the unusual manner of his call-up was a “one-off” and that the bowler had given guarantees he would be available for the off-season tours of Sri Lanka and West Indies. He also said Rashid would have to commit to the Championship game to be eligible for Test selection from 2019 onwards.

Meanwhile, this move of recalling Rashid has been widely criticized in the cricketing circles of England. Recently, another former England captain Nasser Hussain opined that Rashid should not be selected for the first Test.

Yorkshire chief executive Mark Arthur also questioned the message sent by Smith and his fellow England selectors to the county game by calling up Rashid for the first of five Tests against India. “We’re very surprised that England have called Adil up after not playing red-ball cricket this season,” Arthur said on Yorkshire’s website. “Neither has he expressed a desire to do so. I hope that England know what they’re doing to Adil, and the county game,” he added.

(With Inputs from AFP)