First Englishman to 100 T20I wickets reflects on career, the new leggie on the block and “legend” Andrew Flintoff’s emotional presentation
Cameron Ponsonby13-Dec-2023It wasn’t the first time that Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed took to the field together, but it felt like the beginning.Five of England’s six wickets between them, including two in two balls for Rehan and a 100th T20I wicket for Rashid in his 100th appearance. It was a case that whilst the result didn’t go as England had planned, the start of their double wrist-spinner experiment went exactly as they’d hoped.”It was great to see them operate together,” captain Jos Buttler said after play. “That’s why we wanted to try it today, to see what it looked like and to have two X-factor bowlers like that, especially out here in conditions that might spin. I think Trinidad especially could be one of those places traditionally, so we need to find out if it’s an option here before we get to the World Cup.”Related
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Where Rehan showed his quality in parts, Rashid proved it in whole. Rehan’s opening over went for 19, including being struck for two sixes from Kyle Mayers. But it was no bother, as Rashid came on at the other end and dismissed Mayers first ball. This was not the day that the apprentice became the master, as much as the master reminded everyone why he held the title in the first place.”I definitely look at Rehan as a younger brother,” Rashid said. “He’s 19. He’s got his own journey…We’re always talking; just keep it simple, enjoy yourself and let nature take its course. The more he plays and the more experience he gets, things will get better for him.”It was a day of statistical symmetry for Rashid, who became the third man to play a century of T20Is for England and the first to take 100 wickets.Making his debut in 2009, it has been a career of pre- and post-Eoin Morgan for Rashid. His debut came in England’s infamous World Cup defeat to the Netherlands from which point Rashid would play nine further matches for England that year, before disappearing completely until Morgan’s appointment in 2015. From then, he has been ever-present, racking up more than 200 white-ball appearances and, at the time of writing, 299 wickets across ODIs and T20s.”He’s 19. He’s got his own journey…” Rashid on protégé Rehan Ahmed•Getty Images”It’s definitely changed from 2006 to 2009,” Rashid reflected on how English cricket’s viewpoint of the mysterious art of leg-spin has changed across his career. “It’s definitely got a lot better since Morgs took over in 2015. He changed English cricket with his mentality and how he went about myself and how he really put it in my head about how to bowl and the mindset we’re looking for. As time’s gone on, it’s definitely got a lot better in that sense and people understanding more about leg-spin which is a great thing.”The change of mindset is clear with an England team bending over backwards to fit two, let alone one, of the untrustworthy spin options in their team. Leggie’s are cricket’s 101, high-risk, high-reward selection. In years gone by, that risk was considered too high for the potential reward. Now that attitude has flipped.”It’s always nice to get a young leggie up and coming. We’re two completely different bowlers as well – he bowls it a bit quicker. I try and get a bit more flight, few more variations but it’s always nice to see that in tandem, two leggies bowling.”That Rashid and Rehan are so different is an added bonus for England, with Rehan’s preference for bowling to left-handers making him unusual for a leg-spinner. According to , across all formats of cricket, Rehan averages 17 against left-handers, compared to 24 against righties. Furthermore, his economy rate is the best part of a whole run cheaper against southpaws than right-handers.With every team desiring two spinners who turn the ball in opposite directions, in Rehan and Rashid England have two who both turn the ball in opposite directions.”He’s got the tricks,” Rashid said of Rehan. “He’s got the ability as well, he’s got the confidence so hopefully he can carry on developing and building his game.”In a game of generational six degrees of separation, the focus of Rashid’s post-match comments were split between two players who have played differing roles in his career. On the one hand, talk was almost exclusively about the teenage Rehan, with all of England unanimously appointing Rashid as “dad” in the hope one generational leg-spinner produces another. Whilst on the other, it was Andrew Flintoff.Flintoff has returned to the England backroom staff for a fourth stint after assisting in a mentorship capacity for the home series against Ireland and New Zealand and then in Abu Dhabi for the England Lions red-ball camp. But after arriving in the Caribbean a matter of days ago, one of his first tasks was to present Rashid with his 100th T20I cap.”It’s always nice to get a milestone like that for myself,” Rashid said, before adding the obligatory, “but it would have been better if I’d got the milestone and we’d won.”Me and Freddie go a very long way back and he talked a bit about the first time in 2009 when we first met and the journey from there to now. It was very well spoken, and coming from a legend like Freddie, I really do feel that as well.”
