ENG vs IND 2018: Michael Vaughan, Adil Rashid Get Involved in a Banter

Former English skipper, Michael Vaughan took an indirect dig at the English national selectors over the selection of leg-spinner Adil Rashid for the five-match Test series against India, starting 1^st August.

Rashid hasn’t played any red-ball cricket for almost a year. Hence his selection was criticised by several cricketing pundits.

Vaughan criticised Rashid’s selection 

Following his selection, Michael Vaughan criticised the board for not giving proper credit to the red-ball format. Adil Rashid got selected in the squad purely on the basis of his performances in the limited-overs format.

Vaughan had said it was a disgrace to include Rashid for the first Test as he doesn’t want to play the red-ball format. The leg-spinner had retired from Tests last year and had not played for Yorkshire for a year and a half also.

Adil Rashid also slammed Vaughan’s comments and said most of the people are not interested to hear what he was saying.

“He (Vaughan) can say a lot and he thinks people might listen. A lot of people have got no interest in what he says. His opinions do not matter to anybody. When I mentioned at the start of the year I will not be playing red-ball cricket; he tweeted something then. He was being controversial and saying his stupid things then too,” Rashid was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

“I don’t think he has an agenda against me. I played under and with him, but sometimes ex-players come out and start talking nonsense about current players. If he wants to carry on talking just because he is bored with nothing better to say, then that is his choice. There will be people out there who are not happy. There will be haters, like the pundits who are saying it is a disgrace. That is not my fault,” he further added.

Rashid spoke on the red-ball format 

Adil Rashid also spoke on his long absence from red-ball cricket.

“I don’t need anybody’s support in that situation. I know what I want to do and achieve. If I give 100% and it goes well, it goes well. If it doesn’t then I will still be happy. Treat me like they have done, don’t see any value in me and are disrespectful to me, I have to think about the future in terms of which county I play for.”

Teammate Stuart Broad lauded Rashid’s selection. He feels Rashid’s form in the white-ball format and ability to take wickets might be key to England’s success in the upcoming series.

“I think the selectors were very keen to have someone spinning the ball away from the right-handers. He’s been in form in the white-ball stuff and bowled some beautiful deliveries against Australia and India so will be coming in with lots of confidence,” Broad was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

Michael Vaughan was not too far away and replied by taking another dig. He said he was stupid to feel that a person must prepare against the number one Test side by playing red-ball cricket.

“I am Stupid for wanting someone to prepare to play the No1 Test Team in the world by playing a 4-day game with the Red ball !!!!!! #WorldGoneNuts,” Vaughan wrote.

I am Stupid for wanting someone to prepare to play the No1 Test Team in the world by playing a 4 day game with the Red ball !!!!!! #WorldGoneNuts https://t.co/uUORIr9vM9

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) July 27, 2018