Cow Corner Blog

This is no Rash judgement

Fri Sep 04 10:37PM

That England slipped to defeat in the opening one day international with Australia will command the headlines, but the emergence of Adil Rashid is a real boon for England.

England have resisted the temptation to throw the 21-year-old into the fray for some time, but finally gave him his head against Australia and he demonstrated exactly why he is held in such regard.

He bowled with the confidence of youth and displayed the temperament of a player who belongs on the biggest stage.

So have England finally found the great spinner that has been sadly lacking from their armoury in recent years?

England have had good spinners in the modern era, John Emburey, Phil Tufnell and Ashley Giles spring to mind, but none had that beguiling bit of magic that stands an attacking spinner apart from those that can strangle an innings and build pressure.

Had England had a Shane Warne, a Muttiah Muralitharan or an Anil Kumble in their ranks they could well have been at the top of the world game rather than looking up with envious eyes.

Cow Corner could stand accused of hyperbole by building up Rashid before he has entered the Test arena and been challenged at the highest level, but we can say with certainty that we would not have done the same for Ian Salisbury and Chris Schofield!

Rashid has long been held in high regard at Yorkshire and they have made certain that he has had the correct grounding. There have been calls for Rashid to be included in the England set-up for a couple of years, but the selectors have resisted the urge and that policy looks like being rewarded.

There was nothing spectacular about Rashid's bowling on Friday, there was neither extravagant turn nor mystery balls, but what he did demonstrate was maturity beyond his years.

Andrew Strauss turned to Rashid at a time when his seamers were being blasted around the ground and there could have been the fear that Shane Watson and Cameron White would take him apart. That just did not happen as Rashid showed control, variation and an ice-cool temperament.

Figures of 10 overs no wickets for 37 do not set the world alight, but he frustrated batsmen who were well set and tied Michael Clarke, arguably one of the world's finest players of spin, in knots.

A further string to Rashid's bow is that he is a useful lower-order batsman, as he showed by almost snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, but he must not be allowed to sacrifice his bowling in search of becoming an all-rounder.

Rashid has the potential to work his way to the top of the tree but it will not happen overnight and England have to persevere with this rare talent.

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