Adil Rashid interview: Yorkshire's World Cup winner on his part in talent pathway, defending the title in India and future of The Hundred

Three bowling lanes, nets, a viewing balcony, and faces from a kaleidoscope of communities all playing and enjoying the game of cricket.

For the man himself, it is a source of great pride. Because for Adil Rashid, giving back to the sport that has given him so much, and to the community that raised him, has always been important.

He set up a cricket academy in his name 10 years ago when he was still 25, when most twentysomething professional sportsmen were spending their money on cars and material possessions.

Last November they finally found this facility on Bede’s Close in Thornton, in the east of Bradford, to give the academy a home.

“It was something I had in the pipeline for a little while,” begins Rashid, now 35, and a two-time World Cup winner with England.

“We just didn’t have the time, but I had a bit of time this last winter when me and my brother (Amar) and the family decided let’s get a cricket centre which was needed around Bradford, because there aren’t many around.

“It took a bit of planning, but it’s something we wanted to have, not just purely because the next generation of cricketers can come through, but for people from all walks of life can actually use the centre and aspire to become professional cricketers.

“It’s not just a centre for people to come and have a hit, we’re here to help develop them. It’s developing people’s skills in cricket and life as well.

“The Cricket Academy was set up 10 years ago and we’ve seen a lot of players come through that, but this felt as though it was the right time to get a centre of our own and link up and give everybody a base, this is where they can develop and become international cricketers.”

It is not that long ago that Rashid himself was a promising young cricketer, discovered from an early age by the Yorkshire pathway and set on a course to county honours, Test-match cricket and white-ball glory. Helping players from a similar background was at the root of his decision to set up his academy a decade ago.

“In terms of where I’m from, Bradford, cricket’s massive here, and I know what it takes to make it all the way from a young age, so I wanted to make it a lot more easily accessible for youngsters through my academy,” he says of his inspiration.

“People can come and develop their cricket but also have that pathway. And get people off the streets and into cricket.

“It’s not just for people who enjoy cricket, but as much for those who don’t by getting them into cricket.”

Back then, as it is now, the doors of the academy are open to people of all backgrounds, boys and girls, South Asian, white or whatever.

“100 per cent,” says Rashid of a membership that numbers 120 under-18s. “Everyone is welcome; we’ve got boys, girls, from different colours, different religions, everybody is welcome. We have it open every day.”

Such a statement has taken on greater resonance in the past two years after the allegations by his former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq of ‘institutional racism’ at the county. Rashid was cross-examined at the Cricket Discipline Commission hearings in March.

As everyone looks to move forward Rashid and his brother Amar - who oversees the day-to-day running of the academy - want to work with the county to continue unearthing players of all backgrounds.

Jafer Chohan is one such product, a young player helped on his way by the brothers and the South Asian Cricket Academy which helped seven cricketers earn contracts in its first 12 months of existence. Chohan signed professional terms with Yorkshire this summer. “Over the past six months we’ve had pathways from Yorkshire come through here to use the nets and this winter coming up we’ve got some links with Yorkshire pathways and age groups,” said Rashid. “Under-13s, 14s, 15s. That our ambition, having this centre open for all and a link with Yorkshire as well.”

Away from the pitch this year, Rashid was awarded an MBE for his services to cricket. “It’s a big honour being recognised for your achievements in cricket,” he tells The Yorkshire Post, “but also achievements in your local community, it’s a proud moment for myself and my family.”

On the pitch, there is plenty of life left in one of the finest spin bowlers this country has produced.

Right now he is heavily involved in The Hundred, trying to get Northern Superchargers to finals weekend for the first time.

“Things can change very quickly, we’re not looking too far ahead we’re just thinking about the next game,” he says, ahead of an appointment with Manchester Originals on Sunday.

And there is the small matter of a World Cup to defend in India this autumn.

On Wednesday, Rashid was named in England’s white-ball squads for the ODI series with New Zealand from September 8-15, and T20 series against the same opposition from August 30 to September 5.

All of it is designed at England fine-tuning their game for the 50-over World Cup from October 5 to November 19.

“You’re representing your country, every time you do that it gives you real passion and drive to try your best, play your best and whilst doing that enjoy yourself,” says Rashid, who has taken 183 wickets in 125 ODIs since 2009.

“I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re all looking forward to the World Cup.

“We’ve all got that drive to go to India and not just compete, but have that mindset and focus that we’ve come here on a mission with a job to do.

“Along the way there’ll be some ups and downs, but that’s part and parcel of cricket and the nature of life.

“But as a squad we’re full strength, we’re a really tight-knit unit and hopefully we can gel together.

“It’s going to be tough, India is a tough place to go to, but we believe we’ve got the players, the coaching staff and all the tools, plus match-winners in the whole squad.”

Having scaled the mountain top once, Rashid is hungry to do it again.

That feeling of beating New Zealand in the World Cup final at the Oval on July 14, 2019, will never be forgotten.

“Amazing. Four years ago though now. Time flies, but it’s something you’ll cherish for the rest of your life,” beams Rashid.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; Lord’s, a home final, on the weekend, it was the perfect scenario for us to win, and fortunately we did win. It would be very rare for that to happen again.”

His role that summer, and again last November in helping England complete the double by winning the T20 World Cup, helped justify him opting to turn his back on first-class cricket and focus solely on the white-ball formats.

That decision back in 2018 was divisive within the game, but arguably, a trailblazing move given the way franchise cricket has taken off. There are T20 leagues all around the world and Rashid has experienced most of them.

“I think for myself, ultimately, the aim is to play international cricket, to represent your country in the T20 and white-ball cricket as long as you can,” says Rashid.

“International cricket is the pinnacle, and the recent Ashes series brought Test cricket back alive again.

“But these T20 leagues all over the world give players the opportunity to play the major leagues in South Africa, and Dubai etc.

“The game is heading in that direction, T20 cricket has taken over in that sense.

“Hopefully it won’t take over Test cricket but it’s looking like it’s taking over cricket in general.”

It is perhaps unsurprising then that he is such an advocate of The Hundred continuing for a fourth season next summer, amid rumours that it might be scrapped on the men’s side.

“That would be a shame,” says Rashid.

“The couple of years I’ve been involved the cricket has been good but the crowds have been even better. With the Hundred you see a lot more families in the crowd so it has definitely spoken to audiences that not so much never knew about cricket, but never fell in love with it.

“When the Hundred came about you saw a lot more families. So from the perspective of getting people into cricket I think it’s been a success.”

Just as Adil Rashid has been in inspiring people to take up the sport that has shaped his life.