Rashid 'not done' with red ball despite first-class snub

After signing a white-ball only contract with Yorkshire for 2018, Adil Rashid insists he is not done with cricket's longer formats.

Published : Feb 15, 2018 19:02 IST

Adil Rashid insists he is not done with red-ball cricket, despite confirming that he will not play first-class matches for Yorkshire during the 2018 season.

Leg-spinner Rashid has become a mainstay of England's limited-overs sides and has agreed a white-ball only contract with Yorkshire for the coming campaign.

Rashid has played 10 Tests for England, taking 38 wickets at 42.78, but has been consistently overlooked since his last five-day match in India in December 2016.

The 29-year-old spoke of his desire to break back into the five-day team last year, but Rashid believes the decision to limit his Yorkshire involvement will help him improve as a cricketer.

"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.
 
"England and [head coach] 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 per cent. 

"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."

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