Adil Rashid takes the cover of the new issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly, out on October 26, as the double World Cup-winning leg-spinner talks Jo Harman through his singular career, from his preternatural first steps in the game, to the wilderness years that followed, leading to his triumphant arrival as the bowler England hoped he would become.

In a candid interview, Rashid reflects: “For me to go in there as a young kid, I did feel at times: Do I belong here? What am I doing here? And leg-spin back then, I definitely think they didn’t know how to handle it."

Elsewhere in the magazine, we review the performances of all 18 counties this season including special features on Surrey, Leicestershire and Worcestershire, Matthew Hayden tells Mel Farrell he wouldn’t consider coaching Australia because of the way Justin Langer was treated, Phil Walker examines the proliferation of cricket podcasts, and Matt Roller explains how the county transfer system really works.

We also have an exclusive interview with Zafar Ansari by Taha Hashim, Keaton Jennings and his father Ray reflect on learning cricket the hard way, we pick out a selection of the game’s great fast bowlers who burned brightly but briefly, and pay tribute to Alastair Cook following his retirement.

As for our columnists, Lawrence Booth isn’t impressed with Dharamshala’s sandy outfield, Andrew Miller reacts to the news that cricket will be part of the 2028 LA Olympics, and Suresh Menon reports from Ahmedabad on the latest chapter in sport’s most volatile rivalry.