Adil Rashid signs white-ball only contract with Yorkshire

Rashid appears set to pursue a career as a white-ball specialist, despite going undrafted in this year’s IPL auction and not being picked in the Pakistan Super League

England’s Adil Rashid has seemingly called an end to his first-class career after signing a one-year contract with Yorkshire to play only 50 and 20-over cricket.

In a Telegraph exclusive, it has been revealed that Rashid - who played seven County Championship matches last year, taking 10 wickets at 50 - will be paid on a pro-rata deal next season as he appears to be prematurely ending his red-ball career.

Rashid instead looks set to pursue a career as a white-ball specialist, despite going undrafted in this year’s IPL auction and not being picked in the Pakistan Super League.

He has, however, enjoyed success in domestic white-ball competitions around the world. In the 2015/16 Big Bash season Rashid took 16 wickets for Adelaide Strikers, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker at the conclusion of the group stage.

Rashid’s success in the tournament, under his then Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie, prompted high praise from Trevor Bayliss.

“He could have a 10-year international career and this is just the very beginnings. I suppose it’s about trying to fast-track him a little. He’s certainly bowled well for us in the white-ball games but I think he’s got the opportunity to bowl well in Test cricket as well,” said Bayliss.

Now it seems, that international career will be restricted to the white ball only.

^{"I just feel that white-ball cricket is where I am best"}

Rashid - who has taken 38 Test wickets at 42.78- played in his last Test for England against India in December 2016.

The legspinner played all five Tests in that series, taking 23 wickets, the most by any England bowler, but has not featured since. 

With Mason Crane leapfrogging him in the Test stakes after making his debut during this winter’s Ashes series at the SCG, England have seemingly moved on, now it looks as though Rashid is doing the same.

A statement for Yorkshire CCC read: “The Club remain firmly in favour of Rashid continuing to play red-ball cricket for the county, but respect his desire and we are in the process of renegotiating a contract which reflects his decision to solely play white ball cricket.”

Director of cricket, Martyn Moxon said: “He contacted me recently and explained that he wanted to focus solely on white-ball cricket and concentrate on becoming the best white-ball cricketer he could possibly be.

“From my point of view it’s disappointing because I think Adil has got the ability to play in all three formats of the game, not only at county level, but also at international level. It is Adil’s decision and we have to respect that.

^{Rashid will not feature in the County Championship for Yorkshire in 2018}

“I’ve said many times that the skills required for the three formats of the game are so different, so it is a challenge for players to play in all three – in international cricket you don’t have many players that do. This is the challenge that players and coaches face in domestic cricket. We need our players to be able to play in all three formats predominantly. You get the odd specialist, but county setups can’t accommodate specialists at this moment in time. Whether that will happen in the future, we’ll wait and see. We really need to get our players skilled up in all three formats. Adil obviously feels he can’t achieve that at the moment.

“He’s been an important member of our white-ball team over the last number of years and is a potential matchwinner. We’re pleased to have him playing white-ball cricket for us and, with his sole focus being on that, you’d expect his skills to improve.”

“It’s for this season coming and to see how it goes,” said Rashid.

“At this moment in time in my career, I just feel that white-ball cricket is where I am best, enjoying it most and where I feel I can develop and offer a lot more.

“That was my main thought process. It’s not me saying I’m finished from red ball, it’s just me saying that this summer I’m going to concentrate on white ball and see where that takes me.

^{"Red ball sometimes might have got in the way of trying certain things in the past"}

“England and Trevor Bayliss were happy with the decision I made and are backing me fully. I’ll use as much of the time I have to work on my white-ball cricket and I’ll just see where that takes me and what lies ahead.

“It wasn’t any easy decision to make but it’s something I felt I had to do. If I was to go back to playing red ball early in the season, a bit inside me would have said ‘I’m just playing because I have to’ but I had to make that decision and say ‘no, I can’t just go through the motions’. If I do just go through the motions, firstly I’d be letting the team down and I’d also be letting myself down because I wouldn’t be giving 100%. I’ve made the decision, this summer, to just concentrate on white ball, something which makes me very happy and gives me the best chance of improving my cricket.

“I’m looking to develop my skills and add something to my game that I’ve perhaps never had, because I’ve never had the opportunity to try it. Red ball sometimes might have got in the way of trying certain things in the past, especially switching between the two, but this gives me the opportunity to explore and to see what I can do and hopefully become a better player.”