Rashid at the ECB’s launch of a national tape-ball competition in Birmingham•ECB/Getty Images
Rashid has not played competitively since February, when he played three games at the ILT20 after a longer stint in the SA20. He went unsold in December’s IPL auction and no longer plays red-ball cricket so has been at home with his family, and will only have a short build-up to the World Cup when England play four T20Is against Pakistan in late May.
Rashid was speaking at the ECB’s launch of a national tape-ball competition in Birmingham last week as part of its ‘core cities’ programme. Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, said that investing in tape-ball cricket can help the English game look beyond “clubs with picket fences around them” and Rashid believes the competition provides a legitimate talent pathway.
“Haris Rauf came in bowling quick with a tape ball, and next thing you know, he is playing for Pakistan and [in the] PSL,” Rashid said. “These things can happen. If you see somebody with an X-factor with a tape ball, but he’s actually bowling rockets and then you give him a cricket ball and you can do something similar, then you can fast-track them.”
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98