England leg-spinner Adil Rashid has hit back at Michael Vaughan after the former captain described his selection for the first Test against India as “ridiculous.”
Rashid was included in a 13-man squad even though he has opted out of playing first-class County Championship cricket for Yorkshire this season.
His selection for next week’s first Test on the back of his one-day form has not gone down well with Vaughan, an ex-teammate of Rashid’s for Yorkshire, who described his selection as “stab in the back for county cricket.”
Writing in the Telegraph newspaper, he added: “It basically says our county game, the finishing school for our cricketers, does not matter any more and that it is irrelevant.”
Rashid, who won the last of his 10 Test caps in Chennai more than 18 months ago, said Vaughan was “talking nonsense” and said his opinions “did not matter to anybody.”
“When I mentioned at the start of the year I will not be playing red-ball cricket, he tweeted something then,” he said in an interview with the BBC. “He was being controversial and saying his stupid things then too.
“I don’t think he has an agenda against me. I played under and with him but sometimes ex-players come out and start talking nonsense about current players.
“There will be people out there who are not happy. There will be haters, like the pundits who are saying it is a disgrace. That is not my fault.”
Vaughan could not resist another dig at Rashid on Friday, tweeting: “I am stupid for wanting someone to prepare to play the No1 Test team in the world by playing a 4 day game with the red ball.”
Yorkshire chief executive Mark Arthur said the county were “very surprised” by Rashid’s recall.
The player responded by casting doubt on his future at Headingley.
“If they treat me like they have done, don’t see any value in me and are disrespectful to me, I have to think about the future in terms of which county I play for,” said Rashid.
National selector Ed Smith has made it clear that in order to be eligible for Test selection next year Rashid must return to the domestic four-day game.
Adil Rashid hits out at ex-England captain Michael Vaughan over selection comments
Adil Rashid hits out at ex-England captain Michael Vaughan over selection comments
- Ex-Yorkshire teammate and England skipper Vaughan not happy with Rashid selection claiming it was a "stab in the back for the country game."
- Rashid claims Vaughan was “talking nonsense” and said his opinions “did not matter to anybody.”
Desert Vipers chief urges side to focus on playoff, not ILT20 trophy
- The Vipers, the most successful team this season with eight wins from 10 matches, take on the Emirates knowing the winner will secure a direct place in the final
DUBAI: The Desert Vipers’ director of cricket, Tom Moody, has urged his side to focus on the immediate challenge of Qualifier 1 against MI Emirates on Tuesday rather than lifting the DP World ILT20 trophy.
Speaking on the Vipers Voices podcast on Monday, Moody said: “You do not look at the prize, as simple as that. Yes, we all want to be successful. Yes, we all want to win trophies, but if you get too obsessed with that mission, you end up falling short.”
The Vipers, the most successful team this season with eight wins from 10 matches, take on the Emirates knowing the winner will secure a direct place in the final.
Moody, a former World Cup winner with Australia, stressed the importance of approaching the game positively and executing a perfect performance with bat, ball and in the field.
“If we just take that positive outlook and draw on the experience we have had, concentrate on just trying to put together our perfect game, we should be in good hands,” he said.
Moody acknowledged the strength of MI Emirates, led by Kieron Pollard, and highlighted the challenge of playing at Abu Dhabi, where the opposition is familiar with the conditions.
“They play most of their games there, so that is an advantage for them. But at the end of the day, you are not really playing the opposition; you are playing the ball,” he added.
Reflecting on the Vipers’ season, Moody said five of their eight league wins came in the final over, giving the team experience under pressure.
“It gives important lessons for the team and builds trust within the playing group,” he said.
He also addressed the impact of the cooler conditions in the UAE and dew on the finals series, saying the team must adapt regardless of the toss.
“From my perspective, the mindset we need to share is that it does not matter. We just need to adapt,” he said.
