England's Rashid puts his faith in Mushtaq magic

Adil Rashid hailed the influence of Mushtaq Ahmed as he prepared to face Australia in the upcoming Twenty20 and one-day series.

Yorkshire leg-spinner Rashid, 21, is regarded as one of English cricket's brightest prospects.

Rashid made his international debut during June's World Twenty20 in England, taking three wickets in four matches at an average of just over 31 apiece.

He is now set to feature Sunday in the first of two Twenty20s against Australia here at Old Trafford and Rashid said working with the former Pakistan leg-break bowler Mushtaq Ahmed, now the England spin bowling coach after several successful seasons with county side Sussex, had been a big factor in his development.

"Mushtaq Ahmed has been a good to help to me in that as a spin bowling coach," Rashid told reporters at Old Trafford here on Sunday.

"I learnt about how to bowl to different batsmen, field placing, what pace to bowl and how to set a batsman up."

Reflecting on his World Twenty20 experience, Rashid said: "I learnt quite a bit playing with the likes of KP (KP) Kevin Pietersen, all these big names and obviously from (England coach) Andy Flower.

"There's a bit of nerves at the start but once you bowl your first over, you settle down, feel a bit more relaxed and it was quite good.

"I think I play the game with more enjoyment, more excitement and enthusiasm. I am a more confident player now," said Rashid.

Rashid, included in England's squad for both the upcoming seven-match one-day series against Australia and the Champions Trophy in South Africa, comes into this pair of Twenty20s in superb form.

In his last two County Championship matches, Rashid has made a hundred and bagged five wickets in an innings, scoring 157 not out and taking five for 97 against Lancashire at Headingley before following that up with an unbeaten 117 and five for 41 in the victory away to Hampshire at Basingstoke.

"It hasn't gone too bad for me, the last couple of Championship games," Rashid said.

"I got back into some form with the bat against Hampshire. I felt quite good. At the beginning of the season I was a bit up and down but as the season's gone on I've got a bit more confidence."

Rashid is the first specialist leg-spinner to make it into the England set-up since Chris Schofield played two Tests against Zimbabwe nine years ago.

Leg-spinners have rarely thrived for England but both Andrew Flintoff, who retired from Test cricket following England's Ashes series win earlier this month, and Australia great Shane Warne, have predicted great things for Rashid, the first Yorkshire-born Asian player to represent the county.

"For them to say that means quite a lot to me but I've still got a long way to go," said Rashid, in the running to be a member of England's Test squads for their forthcoming tours of South Africa and Bangladesh.

"I would be delighted to be part of the Test squad but I've still got to work hard in the nets and put performances in and see what happens."

And while Rashid, who made his full one-day international debut in the three-run win away to Ireland in Belfast on Thursday, enjoyed the Ashes as much as any England fan, he said now was the time to focus on the task at hand.

"It was a very good Ashes series for us. All the lads are delighted and confident, it's one of the biggest things to win. But that's in the past now and we've got to look forward to these series and the Champions Trophy."

MANCHESTER, AFP