Adil Rashid likened England team-mate Rehan Ahmed to a “younger brother” and is relieved the teenager would probably not have to endure the pitfalls he did in his early years.
England selected both frontline leg-spinners in their T20 series opener against the West Indies in Barbados and were vindicated as the pair shared five of the home side’s six wickets to fall.
Rashid, who made his 100th T20 international appearance in England’s four-wicket defeat at the Kensington Oval, thinks he relies more on flight and variations, while reckoning Ahmed bowls quicker.
But Rashid, 35, does view Ahmed as his protege and the duo might end up dovetailing in England’s T20 World Cup defence next year in the Caribbean and United States if they continue to impress in tandem.
“That’s way down the line,” Rashid said. “There’s a lot of cricket yet to be played. Myself and Rehan are going to keep coming out, try to do the best we can and leave the rest to the selectors.
“But I definitely look at him as a younger brother. He’s 19. He’s got his own journey. We’re completely different bowlers. He’s got the tricks. He’s got the ability and he’s got the confidence.
“We’re always talking; just keeping it simple, enjoying it and let nature take its course. The more he plays and the more experience he gets, things will get better for him.”
Rashid marked his landmark appearance on Tuesday by becoming the first England male bowler to take 100 wickets in the format although it was not always such smooth sailing in his career.
He first earned England recognition in 2009 but leg-spin was still a distrusted art at the time and after a couple of innocuous displays, he was thrown on the scrapheap for half-a-dozen years.
It was only through careful nurturing during Eoin Morgan’s transformative captaincy of England’s white-ball sides from 2015 onwards that Rashid got back in – and he has hardly looked back.
Rashid is pleased that Ahmed, who bounced back from conceding 19 in his first over to record figures of three for 39 against the Windies, should not have to suffer a similar fate.
“As time’s gone on, it’s definitely got a lot better in that sense and people understanding more about leg-spin which is a great thing,” the double World Cup winner said.
“It’s completely different from 2009, times have moved on. You always learn as time goes on, you always develop and with Rehan now, with what he’s doing, hopefully he can develop as he is.”
England falling behind in the five-match series continues a disappointing sequence of white-ball results after their shock group-stage exit at the World Cup and an ODI series loss to the Windies.
They have precious little time to digest their latest setback as the series resumes on Thursday in Grenada, where Reece Topley could play his first match since a broken finger ended his World Cup early.
England’s bowlers leaked 14 sixes to the Windies’ battery of big-hitters, but Rashid insisted conviction remained high within the group despite limited success of late.
“You can’t always win World Cups. You can’t win series every time,” Rashid said. “Obviously we’d love to do that but it’s part and parcel of sport.
“It’s not just in cricket, in football you see the best in the world – one minute they win a World Cup, the next minute, they lose. That’s just natural and part of life.
“We’re still confident and have got belief in ourselves, we’ve still got a really aggressive team. All we’ve got to do is go out there and just really have that self-belief in ourselves.”
As for whether he took any satisfaction from his achievements, Rashid added: “It’s always nice to get a milestone like that for myself but it would have been better if I’d got the milestone and we’d won.”
Andre Russell inspires teammates ahead of World Cup opener against Papua New Guinea
Two-time T20 World Cup winner Andre Russell delivered a stirring speech to his teammates on Saturday, just hours before their World Cup opener against Papua New Guinea in Guyana this Sunday morning. The 36-year-old all-rounder, fresh off his 2024 IPL title win with the Kolkata Knight Riders, shared his excitement and motivation with the squad, hoping to ignite a fire that would carry them through the tournament.
Russell’s words came after a significant moment in the team’s preparations: he was presented with his official playing kit by team captain Rovman Powell, who wished him the best of fortune during the competition. This gesture highlighted the respect and camaraderie within the team, setting the stage for Russell’s heartfelt address.
“I am super-excited to be a part of another World Cup and it’s my first time playing at home in a World Cup event, so I think it’s going to be big for all of us,” Russell began, his enthusiasm palpable. “It would mean so much to the Caribbean people and so much to us moving forward in our careers to win a home World Cup.”
Emphasizing the importance of the event, Russell continued, “It’s bigger than how we look at it but just leave everything out there. We know the conditions better than everyone else; that’s a big plus for us. I’m excited to be here and with this, we can show the world cricket is what we live for here in the Caribbean. And for all of us coming together, with so many playing first-class cricket here in the Caribbean, and we are the best 15, let’s not take that for granted.”
Russell’s message was one of unity and seizing the moment. “Let’s rock together and achieve something great,” he urged. “We have everything in this room, support staff, everything. Everyone is backing us. Let’s make it count.”
With such inspirational words from one of the team’s most experienced and successful players, the squad is undoubtedly motivated to make their mark in the tournament. As they face Papua New Guinea this morning, the Caribbean side will be looking to start their campaign with a strong performance, driven by the passion and determination that Russell embodies.
The stage is set, the players are ready, and the hopes of a region rest on their shoulders. With Russell’s rallying cry echoing in their ears, the team steps onto the field, ready to make history.
Match time for the West Indies/PNG match is 10:30 am Eastern Caribbean time/9:30 am in Jamaica.
Jones' T20 World Cup heroics inspired by showing world cricket USA's capabilities
Aaron Jones etched his name into T20 World Cup folklore with a match-winning blitz on Sunday, but hopes his impact leaves a legacy off the field for United States cricket.
Jones crashed 94 off just 40 balls, combining in a 131-run third-wicket partnership with Andries Gous, as the USA started their World Cup campaign with a seven-wicket win over Canada.
The Dallas crowd were treated to a spectacle as the domination by Jones and Gous came at 14.29 runs per over, the highest run-rate of any century partnership in the tournament's history.
With hosts USA making their first-ever appearance at this global competition, Jones wants his scintillating performance to inspire the next generation of his country's cricketers.
He said after his heroics: "I wanted especially [to win] because America is not really a 'cricketing country', I wanted to win for our fans…and really show the world that the USA has great cricketers here."
As for his own performance, Jones crashed 10 sixes in a dominant chase as the USA cruised to a 195 target with some 14 balls to spare.
Only Chris Gayle, with 11 against England in 2016 at Wankhede, has ever cleared the ropes more times in a single World Cup innings.
"Sometimes when you play an innings like this, you go home, you sleep, and then you wake up and go 'woah, I don't even know how I batted like that'," Jones added.
"It's happened to me two or three times in the past and I think tomorrow is going to be like that as well."
Teetering on the brink at 42-2 in the second innings, Jones and Gous – the latter bludgeoning 65 off 46 balls – stepped up to power the USA to an unlikely victory.
"To be honest with you, from a young age, I've always been put in positions where I needed to be the man," he continued.
"To save the team and to help the team win. I think it brings out the best in me."
The USA face a tougher test when they meet Pakistan on Thursday, aiming to make it two wins from as many games in the limited-overs tournament.
Jones makes mockery of Canada as USA dominate T20 World Cup opener
The United States recorded a statement victory over rivals Canada in their first-ever T20 World Cup outing, as Aaron Jones and Andries Gous stole the show in a seven-wicket triumph.
Canada opener Navneet Dhaliwal powered 61 off just 44 balls, while Nicholas Kirton's 51 and an unbeaten 32 from Shreyas Movva helped their side set a target of 195 in Dallas.
The USA responded by losing Steven Taylor for a two-ball duck and slipped to 42-2 after the powerplay when Dilon Heyliger had captain Monank Patel caught behind for 16.
Yet that set the stage for an eye-catching partnership between Jones and Gous, who combined for a 131-run blitz at a whirlwind run rate of 14.3 for the third wicket.
Number three Gous bludgeoned 65 from only 46 deliveries but was somehow overshadowed by the impressive Jones, who finished 94 not out after facing just 40 balls.
Gous holed out off the bowling of Nikhil Dutta but Jones fittingly finished the chase with 14 balls to spare, securing USA's fifth straight win over Canada in the pair's first-ever World Cup appearance.
Data Debrief: Jones almost matches Gayle record
Jones cleared the ropes 10 times during his destructive performance, with only West Indies' Chris Gayle hitting more sixes in one World Cup innings (11 against England in 2016 at Wankhede).
USA vice-captain Jones had only reached 50 once in this format before this innings, but announced his arrival on the world stage with an emphatic performance.
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