For many years, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, two English cricket players, have had a unique friendship both on and off the pitch. When the two spinners were playing together for England in international matches, they would frequently bowl together.
Rashid has been burdened, or at least it appeared to be, by the weight of managing the spin-bowling workload and the loss of a friendship, which Moeen Ali expressed a few weeks ago.
That didn’t seem to be the case, though, during Rashid’s most recent interview. He refuted any speculation that he might follow suit and retire, preferring to accept each game as it came.
“I feel wonderful. I’m not considering retiring. I’m taking each game and series as it comes, and I’ll keep going as long as I’m having fun and doing well. I haven’t even considered retiring or doing anything similar at this time. As The Independent reported, Rashid said, “It’s about enjoying the game and still giving it everything I’ve got.”
Furthermore, he acknowledged that he was aware of Moeen’s choice long before it was announced. However, he reiterated that he wouldn’t allow their tight personal relationship to interfere with his ability to perform professionally.
“I had to keep my knowledge of Mo (Ali) to myself. We’re pretty good friends both on and off the pitch, therefore I will miss him a lot along with the team. It’s not lonely at all; in fact, there are times when I feel particularly close to him. But that’s life; people come and go, and it’s something that the team as a whole and each member must get used to,” Rashid continued.
Now that Moeen has retired, I shall contribute a little bit more: Adil Rashid
Rashid also emphasised the additional burden that Moeen’s retirement has created because he is now the team’s primary source for knowledge and his experiences are shared with the younger members of the group. Along with others, he highlighted a few leg-spinners he believed could challenge for the top slot in the English bowling lineup in the future.
“Since Mo isn’t here, I’ll be speaking to the kids and encouraging them to come to me a little bit more. That’s the main goal. I can impart whatever information, experience, form, ups and downs, and other attributes I have. It might have to do with technical or mental aspects. With the young people I work with now, I’m also attempting to do. At Yorkshire, I collaborated with both Jafer (Chohan) and Rehan Ahmed. There are several on the circuit who are competing, which is good, and they can fight to be the best spinner in the world,” Rashid continued.
Also Read: ENG vs AUS 2024: Adil Rashid is the first spinner in England history to amass 200 ODI wickets
Remarkably, Rashid will be the oldest member of the team when they play their third One-Day International (ODI) against Australia on Tuesday. Furthermore, this game will be Rashid’s 138th One-Day International. He had the same amount of 50-over appearances at the end of his career, his beloved pal.
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