For too long this has gone on, and no one in the media has had the courage to speak out.
I can’t stand by anymore, I need to talk about it.
We all know the reason Adil Rashid is not playing for England, and it shouldn’t be hidden away.
It is because England discriminate against leg spinners.
Talk to anyone in English cricket and they talk about legspinners like they all have an attitude or behavioural problem.
The coaches say they are hard to deal with.
The other players say they can’t be trusted.
And the selectors believe they are weak under pressure.
This sort of ugly discrimination is doing nothing for English cricket, and the ECB should act.
English cricket should be for everyone, and not just for those who happen to be born as non leg spinners.
No one should be treated differently just because it comes out the back of their hands. That aint right.
These legists need to be outed from the English cricket culture, so that all players, regardless of their wrist spin, can make it to the top level.
This sort of institutional bigotry should not be tolerated, and if the ECB won’t clean out these old school idiots, then the ICC should ban them from the world of cricket for a few years until they learn to use all their players, and not just the non wrist spinning ones.
If you have a son or daughter in England right now who bowls wrist spin, tell them to switch to cricket’s rubbish skill, finger spin, because I can’t see how this archaic cricket institution will ever change.
Cricket is not a game for everyone in the UK, just the lucky few.
I for one am not ashamed to admit that this country has a wrist-spin problem.
They play in my matches, and take my wickets and it just ain’t natural.
If that makes me a legist, then I guess I am a legist.
Sincerely,
Robert Croft
PS see, look you.
To paraphrase Ijaz Butt “it is a conspiracy against Yorkshire and Yorkshire cricket”.
Seriously though you may have a point. I understand why Monty was picked ahead of rashid for the main squad (mainly because Adil is untried at test level thanks to the bizarre decision not to blood him in the Bangladesh series at the start of the year), but to not include him in the Development squad is madness. He took over 50 wickets and had a batting avearge of over 45 in the CC.
It’s nearly as mad as not picking Samit patel for the ODI side just because he has a bit of a paunch.
Good to see Tremlett in the squad though, he could cause the Aussies a few problems if he gets the chance, which he will when Anderson takes none for a lot in the first two tests
Hear hear! How this chappy hasn’t even made the Performance Squad I don’t know. Only made 700-odd runs @ 45, and took 57 wkts @ 31.
Rubbish.
He’s not good enough yet.
Couple of years and he’ll be in as main spinner, all the better for a couple more years experience of county cricket
i tell u y he wasn’t selected just like ajmal shahzad coz they r pakistani
Faran – No, they are English.
How’s geography working out for you?
Hahahahaha Faran that’s right you’ve got it, they’re Pakistani it’s all part of Jrod & the ICC’s conspiricy: Jrod gives leg spinners a bad name for years just so that Adil Rashid can’t play for England.
I played junior cricket with Adil for Bradford & Bingley at under 15 & 17 level and can confirm that he is infact English as his mental Dad who has a broader Yorkshire Accent than me. Incidently his mental Dad probably has more to do with why he hasn’t been selected than his third generation nationality.
Legspin is sex to those who practice it. Confucius said that.
He’s at least as good as Steve Smith….. I haven’t been angered so much by a selectorial decision since Gooch decided that Gower was too old……………..
I also seem to recall that he did OK in the 2020 a few years back when he was 20.
But leg spinners have always found it hard in any country outside the subcontinent – this is not something new.
right arm wristie who can bat. if he was australian he’d have been on a few tours by now and would probably have a few tests up his sleeve.
and england pick monty, who hasn’t improved at all in the past 4 or so years.
idiots.
rashid should move to sydney and declare himself australian
They have fear of getting Post Traumatic Disorder, it reminds them of Warne, thats why they don’t like Leg Spinner.