Adil Rashid's England ODI place — For more than a decade, Adil Rashid has been a fixed point in England’s white-ball teams. But as the side prepares for a three-match ODI series in Australia, his hold on a starting spot looks less certain than at any time since his recall after the 2015 World Cup.
The leg-spinner, now 38, was left out of England’s final three games at the ODI tri-series in Pakistan last month. Head coach Brendon McCullum described the call as tactical, preferring Liam Dawson’s left-arm spin in subcontinental conditions. The leading spinners in that tournament were all left-armers, with Dawson taking seven wickets at 21.42 and Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas claiming nine at 23.22.
Why Rashid's place is being questioned
The omission was striking because England have long treated Rashid as one of their most important players. Only James Anderson has more ODI wickets for England than Rashid’s 244. He was part of the 2019 World Cup triumph and the 2022 T20 World Cup win, and he has been a constant through the lows in India and Pakistan.
But his recent ODI returns have dipped. In 2026 he has nine wickets in seven games at an average of 36.22, a significant change from 2025 when he took 30 wickets in 15 matches at 23.63. In his only appearance at the recent tri-series, against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, he returned figures of 1-55 from eight overs.
His central contract also ends before the next 50-over World Cup in late 2027, adding another layer of uncertainty. Michael Atherton noted that Rashid plays very little outside international cricket, making it harder to judge whether his form has genuinely dropped off.
The Australian conditions could suit him
Australia may offer a more natural stage for a wrist spinner. Atherton suggested the series will be fascinating because conditions there should bring Rashid into the game, and he expects him to play. Those three ODIs in Perth, Adelaide and Hobart now look like an important test of where his game stands.
England also felt his absence in Pakistan. Sri Lanka chased down 430 in Rawalpindi, and Pakistan recovered from 154-9 to win in Lahore. The middle-overs control Rashid can provide at his best was missing.
Can Dawson and Rashid play together?
Selecting both spinners would create a difficult balance. If Rashid replaced seam-bowling all-rounder Sam Curran, Dawson would probably have to bat at No 7, which may be a place too high for him. If Rashid replaced a frontline fast bowler, Curran would need to serve as the third seamer, a role he did not convincingly fill in the tri-series, where he took four wickets at 54.75 and conceded 7.50 an over.
With Will Jacks, Joe Root and potentially Jacob Bethell offering slow-bowling options, England may decide only one of Dawson and Rashid can play. Which one that is no longer an obvious call. The series in Australia should provide the first real answer.
