Adil Rashid, England’s star leg-spinner, exudes confidence as the team gears up for the T20 World Cup in June. Rashid believes that England possesses the “mindset of champions” and has drawn a line under their disappointing performance at the 50-over World Cup last year.
Rashid emphasizes that the 50-over format is vastly different from T20 cricket, and England’s struggles in the former should not be a cause for concern. He highlights the team’s current status as T20 world champions and their belief in their abilities.
“We’ve got the team, we’ve got the mindset, we’ve got the players, we’ve got the experience,” Rashid said. “If we go out there having the same belief, I think we’ll – hopefully – go all the way.”
England’s white-ball coach, Matthew Mott, echoes Rashid’s sentiments. Mott believes that the team has a strong squad and is confident in their ability to win the tournament. He also suggests that captain Jos Buttler will rely more on intuition and less on data-driven decision-making during the World Cup.
Rashid believes that this approach will allow England to play with greater freedom and express themselves on the field. He emphasizes that T20 cricket requires spontaneity and a willingness to take risks.
England will announce a provisional squad for the tournament early next week. Rashid, who has not played competitively since February, will have a short build-up to the World Cup, with England scheduled to play four T20Is against Pakistan in late May.
Rashid’s comments come as the ECB launches a national tape-ball competition as part of its “core cities” program. Rashid believes that the competition can provide a legitimate talent pathway for aspiring cricketers.
“Haris Rauf came in bowling quick with a tape ball, and next thing you know, he is playing for Pakistan and [in the] PSL,” Rashid said. “These things can happen. If you see somebody with an X-factor with a tape ball, but he’s actually bowling rockets and then you give him a cricket ball and you can do something similar, then you can fast-track them.”
