Rashid says Ashes return not on his mind as England eye T20 World Cup

Cardiff, 10 September 2025:

Adil Rashid has ruled out an Ashes comeback, saying his focus remains firmly on England’s preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup.

Speculation had surfaced about whether Rashid, 37, might be tempted back into Test cricket, following Moeen Ali’s own return in 2023. The Guardian reported that his recent white-ball form had some wondering if Ben Stokes might send him a message to reconsider.

But Rashid, who has not played red-ball cricket for six years, dismissed the prospect Tuesday ahead of England’s three-match T20 series against South Africa.

“It would be a no,” Rashid said. “I’m quite comfortable and confident with what I have been doing in the past six years since I finished red-ball cricket. I’m confident in my own game. The spinners coming through now are very good, and when they go there [to Australia] they’ll put in good performances as well.”

Rashid is widely regarded as England’s finest leg spinner of the past half-century, with 512 first-class wickets, 427 international scalps and two World Cup titles to his name. He currently ranks second in the world in T20 bowling.

England coach Brendon McCullum has spoken of the Ashes as “the series of our lives,” but Rashid’s priorities lie elsewhere. England will use the South Africa series to begin building toward the T20 World Cup in India next February and March.

Rashid said his motivation remains high. “The main thing is getting into winning habits,” he said, while confirming his desire to keep playing white-ball cricket as long as possible.

England, ranked third in the T20 standings, will face South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and Sri Lanka over the coming months as part of their buildup.

— Courtesy of the Guardian