England proved they can win without Adil Rashid, at least for a short spell, as they beat Sri Lanka in their late-summer series. Surprisingly, given how long his retirement has been treated as a looming crisis, life went on.
That does not diminish the vital role Rashid has played for England over the last decade, or the problem his eventual retirement will pose. No player has taken more wickets for England in T20Is than Rashid, and he is fast closing in on Jimmy Anderson’s record in the 50-over format. Having played 153 T20Is, the next most experienced spinner in England’s attack is Liam Dawson, who has played 39.
England relied heavily on their pacers during the ODI series that Rashid missed, and he bowled just seven overs in the three-match T20I series. The bright spot came when Will Jacks became the seventh English spinner to take an ODI five-wicket haul, an achievement Rashid has managed twice.
The Search for a Successor
The wider anxiety about life after Rashid stems from the lack of specialist leg-spinners coming through behind him. That is why so much faith has been placed in Rehan Ahmed since he was a teenager, despite limited evidence to justify it. Against Sri Lanka, Rehan had his first real opportunity to prove he was a worthy heir to Rashid. Instead, he highlighted just how different England’s white-ball sides will look once Rashid is gone, without his reliable and ever-present supply of overs and wickets.
Different is the key word. Rashid’s method sets him apart from most leg-spinners in international cricket today. At the T20 World Cup earlier this year, he bowled more deliveries under 80kph than any other spinner. He also bowled fuller than any of his peers, which allowed him to produce his trademark late dip after tempting the batter forward. If the late dip did not beat the batter, the quicker delivery fizzing down often did. Most importantly, no spin bowler in the tournament took more wickets at a lower economy rate.
Compared with England’s other spinners, none match Rashid’s quality, and none bowl in a comparable way. Rehan bowls significantly quicker than Rashid and does not generate the same dip. “Most leg-spinners around the world in the last six or seven years have had success doing the opposite thing [to Rashid], bowling quicker stump-to-stump,” Rehan said earlier this year. “But for him to do that [bowl slowly] and be so brave and get it right most of the time, it’s incredible.”
Rashid’s individuality has been protected by his different career path. Unlike many leg-spinners who have built their reputations bowling mystery spin around the world, he has played relatively little T20 franchise cricket. In the past year, his appearances beyond England have been limited to The Hundred and a three-week stint in the ILT20, squeezed into a gap in the England white-ball schedule during The Ashes. Perhaps, at 38, the limited cricket he plays outside international commitments has helped him keep going as he approaches his 40th birthday.
Age Is Not a Hard Cut-Off for Spinners
Age milestones also tend not to act as sharp cut-offs for spinners in the way they do for other specialists. At 47, Imran Tahir remains a regular buy at franchise auctions. Mohammad Nabi continues to represent Afghanistan at 41, and Sikandar Raza spent his 40th birthday at the top of the ICC T20I all-rounder rankings last April. While the end of the 2023-27 World Cup cycle has added urgency to planning for Rashid’s succession, it is not out of the question that he could still be taking wickets for England at the 2031 World Cup.
Age and maturity also bring benefits that England’s younger spinners often struggle to reach, as they are frequently discarded while still in their early to mid-20s. In an interview earlier this year, Rashid said: “You know at this age that sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don’t. I think you also think more clearly about how to adapt to a situation and what’s required in this moment, on this pitch. All these things come in which you may not know when you’re younger.”
England’s Answer Is Already Taking Shape
In a sense, however, England have already found part of their answer. With spinners in short supply across formats, spin-bowling all-rounders have filled the gaps and taken on a bigger role with the ball. Will Jacks has sent down more overs for England in ODIs this year than any other bowler. Batting all-rounder James Coles has been named in England’s ODI squad for their upcoming tri-series in Pakistan, while Mason Crane’s nine-year wait for a recall has coincided with a strong domestic season with the bat. Rehan’s appeal has centred on his supposed versatility, which has seen him open the batting twice for England in ODIs.
Nothing shows how exceptional Rashid’s quality and longevity are quite like England’s search for his replacement, or how far in advance they began it. Yet the highest praise for Rashid is this: when he finally does step away, England will have to completely rethink how they play their white-ball cricket.