Adil Rashid could be forgiven for tiring of the international cricket treadmill more than 16 years after his debut. Now in New Zealand for his 35th international T20 series or tournament, he summarises that hectic, monotonous life when talking about the team-bonding mini‑break in Queenstown with which England started their winter: “Sometimes you don’t get that opportunity when you’re always on tour,” he says. “You land, you train, you play and you travel.”
Yet his enthusiasm is clear, not just when he discusses the immediate future of a side that seems to be flourishing under Harry Brook and his own place in it, but also when watching Rashid train, play or bowl. But while he was able to stop New Zealand in their tracks as they attempted to chase down England’s record‑breaking 236 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Monday night, when his four‑wicket haul included all but one of their five highest scorers, there is nothing he can do to halt time.
