England got a taste of life after Adil Rashid in their late-summer series against Sri Lanka, and they won the series. Given how long Rashid’s retirement has been treated like doomsday, that result was a surprise.
That is not to trivialise the vital role Rashid has played for England over the last decade, or to suggest that his retirement, when it eventually comes, will not be problematic. 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, Rashid is far ahead of the next-most experienced spinner in England’s attack, Liam Dawson, who has played 39.
England relied heavily on their pacers during the ODI series in which Rashid was absent, and Rashid 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-for, an achievement Rashid has managed twice.
The Heir Apparent Problem
The general anxiety over 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 the limited evidence to justify it. Against Sri Lanka, Rehan had his first real chance to prove he was a worthy successor to Rashid. Instead, he highlighted just how different England’s white-ball sides will have to look once Rashid is gone, and how much they will miss his reliable, ever-present supply of overs and wickets.
Different is the key word. Rashid’s method sets him apart from most other leg-spinners in international cricket today. At the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Rashid bowled more deliveries under 80kph than any other spinner. He also bowled fuller than any of his peers, which allowed him to extract his trademark late dip after lulling the batter. If the late dipper did not get the batter, the quicker one fizzed down would. Most importantly, no spin bowler in the tournament took more wickets at a lower economy rate.
Compared with England’s other spinners, none possess 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-seven years have had success doing the opposite thing [to Rashid], bowling quicker stumpt-to-stump,” Rehan said earlier this year. “But for him to do that [bowl slowly] and be so brave and to get it right most of the time, it’s incredible.”
A Different Path
Rashid’s individuality has been protected by the path he has taken, which differs from that of other leg-spinners who have built their reputations bowling mystery spin around the world. He has played relatively little T20 franchise cricket. In the last year, his appearances beyond England were limited to The Hundred and a three-week stint in the ILT20 during a gap in the England white-ball calendar during The Ashes. Perhaps, at 38, the limited cricket he plays outside his international commitments has helped him keep going as he approaches his 40th birthday.
Age milestones also tend not to act as sharp cut-offs for spinners the way they do in other specialisms. At 47, Imran Tahir remains a regular buy at franchise auctions. Mohammad Nabi continues to play for Afghanistan at 41, and Sikandar Raza spent his 40th birthday at the top of the ICC T20I all-rounder rankings last April. The end of the 2023-27 World Cup cycle has added urgency to England’s succession planning, but it is not out of the question that Rashid 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, and they are too often cast aside while still in their early to mid-20s. In an interview with Cricinfo 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 Have Already Started Adapting
In a way, however, England have already found an answer to what comes next. With spinners in short supply across formats, spin-bowling all-rounders have filled the gaps and stepped up to a bigger role with the ball. Will Jacks has bowled more overs for England in ODIs this year than any other bowler. James Coles, a batting all-rounder, 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 coincided with a strong domestic season with the bat. Rehan’s appeal has centred on his supposed versatility, and he has opened the batting twice for England in ODIs.
Nothing shows how rare Rashid’s quality and longevity are quite like England’s search for a replacement, or how far in advance they started looking. Yet the highest praise for Rashid may come when he eventually steps away: England will have to completely remodel how they play their white-ball cricket.