England’s World Cup-winning spinner Adil Rashid will play no further cricket this season due to a shoulder injury, he revealed on Friday. The 31-year-old said he was hoping to be fit for the winter tours of New Zealand and South Africa.
“The aim was to come back after the World Cup and play for Yorkshire,” he told Yorkshireccc.com. “I enjoy playing for Yorkshire, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Rashid, who quit red-ball cricket last year before being recalled to the England Test team against India, insisted he was unable to play for his county side.
“When I can play, I’ll play,” he said, having struggled with the shoulder issue throughout England’s successful World Cup campaign. “I just wasn’t anywhere near fit enough to play. People may have other views, but I just can’t play. Any other talk is nonsense.
“My main aim is to get my shoulder fit, strong and powerful ahead of the winter. I’ll be in the gym, keeping fit and rehabbing my shoulder. Hopefully, once I get through that period I can just continue playing cricket.”
The injury rules out any chance of Rashid playing a part in England’s ongoing Ashes series against Australia. He has made 19 Test appearances, with the last of those coming in the West Indies in January, and had slipped behind Jack Leach and Moeen Ali in the England spin-bowling pecking order.
