Rashid ready to take his chance
The dramatic upheavals of the past fortnight have thrust all of England's squad members into the limelight ahead of their tour of the Caribbean, and their newest addition is no exception
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Rashid, 20, was added to England's Test squad for their tour of India before Christmas, a promotion that allowed him to witness at first hand the breakdown in communications that ultimately led to the resignation of the captain, Kevin Pietersen, and the sacking of the coach, Peter Moores. Andrew Strauss has since taken over as captain, leaving Rashid with barely two weeks to get his head around all that he has witnessed.
"Before India I didn't know Kevin and Andrew very well, but I spent two weeks with them, speaking to them, eating dinner with them, working in the nets, and it was good to see how they worked," Rashid told the Yorkshire Post.
"Kevin is a very confident person, a very proud person, which is good for his cricket. He is a world-class player - one of the best in the world - and that is because of his attitude and determination to do well. Andrew Strauss has got all it takes to be a successful captain and we had a team meeting the other day in which he talked to us a lot about captaincy. It was good stuff, and I'm really looking forward to working under him."
After that crash course in dressing-room politics, this time Rashid is not just coming along for the experience. With 65 wickets for Yorkshire in the 2008 season, his addition gives England's selectors an extra attacking dimension, especially against West Indian batsmen who have been traditionally poor against quality slow bowling.
"I have to admit I've been very surprised with how quickly everything has happened for me," said Rashid. "When you think I only made my first-class debut in 2006, I didn't really expect myself to go this far this quickly, but I'm not going to get carried away with it. I know I've still got a long way to go."
For all the promise of his legspin, with which he picked up six wickets on debut at Scarborough in 2006, the factor which could tip the balance so far as his international career goes is his batting. He has two first-class centuries to his name so far, and as he told the Post: "I definitely see myself as a genuine allrounder."
"I feel that even when I bat lower down for Yorkshire I take plenty of responsibility on my shoulders," said Rashid. "In the last couple of seasons I've scored quite a few fifties, I've scored a couple of hundreds, and it always helps to do well with the bat. It's important to get your first first-class hundred, or even Test hundred, because once you've got that in the bank, you feel more relaxed and you know you can do it."
With Monty Panesar's form stuck in a rut, Graeme Swann - another player with batting credentials - has for the time being established himself as England's most effective spinner. But Rashid knows he is a short step away from a cherished Test debut. "If I do play in the West Indies I'll be ready, but I know it will be a big bonus if I get the nod," he said. "It will be tough to get into the team but, if I do get the chance, I'll do my best to perform and I'm confident I can handle the situation."
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