I’ve finished red-ball cricket – England’s Adil Rashid rules out Ashes return

Adil Rashid says he would reject an Ashes invitation from England this winter and not return to the Test stage after seven years.

Rashid made his last Test appearance in January 2019 and has not played a first-class game since then, instead focusing on white-ball cricket.

But the 37-year-old leg spinner has never formally announced his Test retirement, leading to speculation that he could one day return to the longer format of the game.

Fellow spinner Moeen Ali answered captain Ben Stokes’ call in 2023 and ended his Test retirement after 18 months for the Ashes battle with Australia on home soil.

Asked on Tuesday, ahead of England’s T20 series against South Africa, what he would say should Stokes make the same call to him this winter, Rashid said: “It would be a no. I think I’m quite comfortable and confident of what I have been doing for the past seven years.

“I’ve finished red-ball cricket, so I’m quite confident in my own game in that sense.

“I’m sure It wouldn’t even come that way because the spinners coming through now are very good.

“When they go there they’ll put good performances in, and I’m confident they’ve got the spinners sorted.”

Rashid made his 300th appearance for England in all formats during the recent ODI series against South Africa, which England lost 2-1.

He celebrates his 38th birthday in February, the same month the T20 World Cup starts in India and Sri Lanka, and wants to prolong his career for as long as possible.

Rashid said: “You take it game by game, series by series. But you obviously have that in the back of your mind of the age factor getting to 40 and 41.

“Who knows what can happen in two years’ time, or three, four, five years’ time?

“You do your best, let things unfold, and let nature take its course.

“Personally, I’d like to play cricket for as long as possible, as long as the body can hold it and you are performing to a certain level.

“Hopefully I can carry that on, as long as I’m fit and moving well I’ll try my best.”

The three-match series against South Africa, which starts in Cardiff on Wednesday and concludes at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge, accelerates England’s planning towards the T20 World Cup in five months’ time.

England head to Ireland later this month before playing another three-match series away to New Zealand in October.

A three-match series against Sri Lanka takes place before the World Cup gets under way.

Rashid said: “Every series we play is important, regardless if it is six months or two years from a World Cup.

“As a team it’s not about putting out a statement for others to see, it’s important what we do as a team.

“It’s about making sure we are true to our own selves cricket-wise – batting bowling, fielding. Thinking about own game and putting a show on.”

Sam Curran will start the T20 opener against South Africa, the first time the all-rounder will feature under head coach Brendon McCullum.

Curran’s last appearance was in November 2024, but the 27-year-old earned a belated call-up to the squad after shining for Hundred winners Oval Invincibles.

England XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (capt), Sam Curran, Tom Banton, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.