Root: Rashid has to play first-class cricket to make Test case

Rashid, who last played Test cricket in January 2019, has been widely praised for his recent performances in one-day cricket, and national selector Ed Smith said earlier this week that “we’ll look work closely with Adil and with Yorkshire [Rashid’s county side] in the future to see if he’s ready to play four-day and five-day cricket”.

The 32-year-old last played in the County Championship in 2017 and currently holds a white-ball contract at Headingley. Having struggled with a persistent shoulder problem in 2019, Rashid cited his workload as a concern when penning his new deal.

Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket prior to the ongoing third Test between England and Pakistan, Root said Rashid could add depth to England’s spin department, of particular importance considering potential upcoming tours in the winter of India and Sri Lanka, but added that his fellow Yorkshireman would have to make a return to the first-class action to earn consideration – a prospect that will be complicated in the short term by Rashid’s white-ball deal at Yorkshire and his commitments with England’s limited-overs sides this summer.

“I think he [Rashid] has to play red-ball cricket to be in contention, and I also think it’s really important that he then has to put pressure on Bessy [Dom Bess], who has the shirt right now,” said Root. “He [Bess] hasn’t been required for large portions of this summer but when he has he’s done a reasonable job in these conditions and obviously had a brilliant winter out in South Africa as well.

“Like with the seamers, you want strength and depth with the spin-bowling department. You look potentially where we’ll be this winter; there’s going to be a lot of spin to feature, and it’d be great to see Adil, if that’s what he wants to do and he’s prepared to play some first-class cricket, to see him in contention for Test cricket. I think that strengthens the depth in our spin-bowling, for sure.”