Rashid: When your country wants you, you cannot just say no

England v India 2018 tour

Adil Rashid has lashed out at the critics of his recall to the England Test team particularly former skipper Michael Vaughan.

Rashid feels that Vaughan courts controversy in the media to promote himself and that his comments and are worth paying attention to.

The leg-spinner said that he was asked if he was available for the Test team and said yes. Many have directed their criticism at the selectors who overlooked Jack Leach and Dom Bess because of a lack of overs in the County Championship. Rashid opted out of red ball cricket at the beginning of the 2018 season. The selectors have made it clear that Rashid’s selection is a one-off.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Rashid said: “There has been a lot of hoo-ha. I don’t see what the big deal is, with people talking about me being retired.

“I didn’t say anything about retirement, which some pundits have said. It was not an easy decision, but when your country wants you and asks if you are available, you cannot just say no.”

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Rashid did not hold back his anger at Vaughan, who has used his platform to suggest that the spinner should have rejected the England call.

He said: “His opinions do not matter to anybody. When I mentioned at the start of the year I will not be playing red-ball cricket, he tweeted something then. He was being controversial and saying his stupid things then too. A lot of people have got no interest in what he says. It is about getting people to like what he says.

“I don’t think he has an agenda against me. I played under and with him but sometimes ex-players come out and start talking nonsense about current players. If he wants to carry on talking just because he is bored with nothing better to say, then that is his choice. There will be people out there who are not happy. There will be haters, like the pundits who are saying it is a disgrace. That is not my fault.”

Rashid said that Yorkshire CEO Mark Arthur’s comments in the media have made him start to think about which county he wants to play for.

He added: “They might be disappointed for various reasons, but it would have been nice if the chief executive or head coach could have said, ‘Well done, congratulations on being selected, good on you.’ As opposed to being angry and upset for not playing red-ball cricket for them, even though I told them I would not be doing so.

“I did not do anything wrong in that sense. There is no reason for Yorkshire to react like this. It was not something I expected or wanted. It would have been nice to have got the support from your county or the people close to you, but if they do not want to give their support, that is their problem. I don’t need anybody’s support in that situation. I know what I want to do and achieve. If I give 100% and it goes well, it goes well. If it doesn’t then I will still be happy.

“If they treat me like they have done, don’t see any value in me and are disrespectful to me, I have to think about the future in terms of which county I play for.”

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