What’s all the fuss about?
Much has been expressed – spoken and written – in the nations’ sports media recently regarding the selection of 30 year old Adil Rashid, currently signed to Yorkshire on a ‘white ball only’ contract, for the England Test squad some three years are his last call-up.
Some critics have pointed out that Jack Leach and/or Dom Bess would have appear to have equal claims to have got the nod in this instance, whilst elsewhere former England captain and current self-appointed cricket media ‘motormouth’/provocateur Michael Vaughan has pontificated long and hard about the supposed injustice that Ed Smith and the England selectors have dealt to both Yorkshire and the English county game by their act.
See here for some further comments that have appeared on the website of The Guardian overnight:
Jason Gillespie is calling for the real reasons behind Rashid’s Test call up and personal decisions to be made known – see here – THE GUARDIAN
Jonny Bairstow is suggesting that – contrary to its public stance – Yorkshire CCC will in fact be more than happy with the England selectors’ decision, also see here – THE GUARDIAN
And here’s Vic Marks weighing in with his sixpennyworth – see here – THE GUARDIAN
To be honest with you, I cannot quite see what all the fuss is about.
The way I look at things, it is simply a matter of contractual agreement. Presumably Adil Rashid’s agent had discussions/negotiations with Yorkshire CCC and – no doubt after some to-ing and fro-ing – they came to an understanding & agreement which both parties signed with everyone’s eyes on all sides fully open as to all the implications.
In other words (I am presuming here, without any knowledge at all of what the contract actually contained) that Rashid signed a contract committing him to playing exclusively for Yorkshire in this season’s ‘white ball’ games. Only. And no more and no less than that.
Therefore, to my mind, at any time – for example – Yorkshire could have invited Rashid to play for them in games other than ‘white ball’ ones – and Rashid would probably then have been entirely within his rights to respond either “Okay, yes – and how much will you pay me per game if I do?” … or alternatively [if he so chose, whether that be in an instant or after much soul-searching doesn’t matter and is irrelevant] he could have said “Er, no thanks. I’m going off for a curry with my mates or family” or “No thanks, I’m flying off to Dubai to play in a celebrity/pro one-day match …” or even “No thanks, I’m going to the local lido with my kids that weekend …” or indeed in any other manner that his whim and/or mood took him.
And that would have been that.
“What’s his decision to accept a call from the England selectors got to do with any of that?” is the first thing that crossed my mind when I began reading today’s media stories on this topic.
