Following the negative press generated after Yorkshire’s statement that Adil Rashid had requested to be rested for their crucial County Championship decider against Middlesex, citing a busy summer ahead with the England national team, the off-spinning all-rounder has come out today with his version.
Rashid stated that the real reason he wanted to give the match, that could land Yorkshire their third Championship on the trot a miss, was an illness to a close family member.
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While the real purpose of Yorkshire’s statement was to express their displeasure with the ECB over Jonny Bairstow not being allowed to play, it also touched on Rashid’s absence that didn’t go down well with Yorkshire head coach Jason Gillespie, who will step down after the match, as well as skipper Andrew Gale.
"I'm obviously frustrated about Rash and I said to him I hope he doesn't regret the decision he has made. But I fully respect his decision. He has played a lot of cricket and he feels he needs a rest," Gillespie said on Sunday, while Gale took to Twitter to take a sly dig at Rashid.
Following the not-so-amicable reactions that his decision had generated with a majority of the Yorkshire fans, Rashid admitted that playing continuous cricket for England over the summer had been physically taxing, decided it was better to clarify the real reason behind his decision.
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Rashid took to Twitter to explain his point of view and said that he wasn’t mentally in the frame of mind to play the game. The English player said that a family member was ill and that family always came first for him.
Rashid’s response should see his extended Yorkshire family soften their stance on the 28-year-old and concentrate their energy on the match against Middlesex. Yorkshire would hope that Nottinghamshire hold out Somerset to become the first County in over fifty years to win three championships in three years.
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