“The best we’ve seen him bowl,” Trevor Bayliss said about Adil Rashid, holding out hope that the leg-spinner is discussed by the selectors in the context of Test cricket.
Earlier this year, Rashid agreed on a white-ball only contract with Yorkshire, making it clear that he expected his future with England to be in limited-overs cricket.
But with Rashid, the 30-year-old with 10 Test matches behind him, in excellent form for England in limited-overs cricket in recent times, Bayliss has expressed hope that he could be brought back to the long format side.
“Could he get picked in the Test team on white-ball form? Well, it’s already been proven this year it’s happened once. So, look I’m sure he’ll be up for discussion definitely,” said Bayliss, adding that it was also for Rashid to decide what he wants: “I’m not sure whether Ed Smith [the chief selector] had a chat with him or not.”
Rashid sounded amenable to the idea, when he said, “At this moment in time I’m just concentrating on white-ball cricket, but, in the meantime, if something comes about I’ll be happy.”
In recent times, especially when playing at home, England have relied on Moeen Ali to be their main spinner, with the likes of Mason Crane, Jack Leach and Dom Bess tried out from time to time.
The first of five Tests between England and India starts at Edgbaston on August 1 – the England squad hasn’t been announced yet.
