Yorkshire have announced that World Cup winning leg-spinner Adil Rashid has signed a white-ball contract with them for the 2020 summer.
Bradford born Rashid, who first represented the county in a T20 game in 2008, will only play for Yorkshire in the shortest format this season due to his Northern Superchargers commitments in The Hundred.
That is something that could lessen his chance of an England Test recall – a format Rashid says he still wants to play.
When asked about his red-ball future Rashid told the club website: “Although I won’t be playing red-ball cricket this summer, I still have ambitions of playing Test Cricket in the future.”
The concentrated calendar for Rashid, 32, will help him prepare for the T20 World Cup in October, a competition England feel they have a great chance of winning.
Rashid will play a big part in any success England may have, and a whole season worth of preparation will put him in good stead
Rashid cited his persistent shoulder injury as his reason for not playing red ball cricket this summer, hoping that a reduced work load will help his performance and consistency.
He said: “I have decided to concentrate on white-ball cricket this summer in the lead up to the T20 World Cup. This is due to an ongoing shoulder injury, so it is important for me to manage my workload to give me the best chance of remaining fit.”
Yorkshire are delighted Rashid has signed the contract, even if they will only have his services for the T20 Blast.
Director of cricket Martyn Moxon said: “We fully understand Adil’s position and are happy that he will be available for Yorkshire in the Vitality Blast this season.
“Adil is a world class performer and will obviously add great value to our T20 team.”
