Resilient Rashid to focus on Yorkshire challenge

PROFESSIONAL sport can be a ruthless business.

Just ask Adil Rashid.

The Yorkshire leg-spinner started the winter as a member of England's Test and one-day squads for the tour of South Africa.

He ended it having been overlooked for the tour of Bangladesh after falling behind Kent off-spinner James Tredwell in the England pecking order.

On the face of it, Rashid, 22, has done little wrong.

Granted, he conceded 25 runs from his solitary over during his only Twenty20 international in South Africa, and he returned

0-27 from three overs during his single one-day international during the same trip.

But since when were leg-spinners judged on four overs?

Banished to England's Performance Squad for the rest of the winter, Rashid could have been forgiven for feeling somewhat miffed.

To say that England's treatment of him has been strange is an understatement: either he should have been blooded in Test cricket already – the format of international cricket to which he is suited – or else left to develop at county level.

Publicly, the Bradford-born all-rounder is playing a straight bat when it comes to England.

"I don't think what's happened during the winter has knocked me back," said Rashid.

"I've got a lot of things to learn and a lot of things to prove.

"I'm not down in the dumps, or anything like that. I'm quite a confident character and it's all about how you deal with these situations when they come along."

As to his chances of forcing his way back into the England fold this summer, Rashid is circumspect.

"I'm not looking too far ahead," he declared. "I'm just looking to perform well for Yorkshire and take it one game at a time.

"If I score a few hundreds and take a few five-wicket hauls, who knows? But my focus at the moment is solely on Yorkshire."

This promises to be an important summer for Rashid, who could yet win a place on next winter's Ashes tour.

Tredwell is unlikely to worry the Australians in Australian conditions, making Rashid a possible partner for Graeme Swann if he does well for Yorkshire during the coming months.

Although England may not want him at the present moment, Yorkshire could not be more thrilled to have him on board.

With an inexperienced squad led by new captain Andrew Gale, Yorkshire badly need all the match-winners they can get.

"I've got a really good feeling about our chances this year,' enthused Rashid, who averages 36 with the bat and 33 with the ball at first-class level.

"I think we've got the ability to knock some sides over.

"I certainly don't think we'll be relegated in the County Championship, as some people seem to think. In my opinion, we've got the team, we've got the players, and it's up to us to put it all together.

"From my own point of view, I'm looking forward to playing a full season for Yorkshire and trying to do well with bat and ball. I haven't set myself a target in terms of wickets, but I've definitely got my eye on trying to score 1,000 runs for the first time in the Championship.

"We've got some good young players at the club and quite a lot of strength in the spin bowling department, with myself, David Wainwright and Azeem Rafiq. Hopefully, as the season progresses, all three of us will get the chance to play in the same game."

Today's County Championship opener at Warwickshire revives memories of Rashid's introduction to first-team cricket.

It was against the same opponents in 2006 that he made his first-class debut, grabbing the headlines with second innings figures of 6-67.

If Rashid can recapture his form of 2008, when he was the leading spin bowler in the country with 62 Championship wickets, Yorkshire will be delighted.

"I want to get back to bowling how I was in 2008," said Rashid, who has played five Twenty20 internationals and five one-day internationals since making his England debut during last year's World Cup.

"I had a really good second half of the season that time when my rhythm was good and it was all going well.

"It's been a difficult winter for me in some respects but now the season's here I can't wait to get cracking.

"Hopefully, it's going to be a good one for me and a good one for Yorkshire and the club's supporters."