London: England leg-spinner Adil Rashid has hit back at Michael Vaughan who had criticised the selectors’ decision to recall him in the Test squad, saying the former captain’s comments were ‘stupid’ and ‘do not matter’.
Rashid’s inclusion to the Test squad for the home series against India has brought sharp reactions from ex-players with Vaughan terming it as ‘ridiculous’. Vaughan had questioned Rashid’s selection, saying that someone who does not want to play the longer format has been rewarded with a Test spot on the basis of his recent limited overs form.
Rashid said Vaughan’s comments were a kind of nonsense. “He (Vaughan) can say a lot and he thinks people might listen. A lot of people have got no interest in what he says. His opinions do not matter to anybody.
“When I mentioned at the start of the year I will not be playing red-ball cricket, he tweeted something then. He was being controversial and saying his stupid things then too,” Rashid was quoted as saying by ‘BBC Sport’. If he wants to carry on talking just because he is bored with nothing better to say, then that is his choice,” he added.
I don’t see what the big deal is. When your country wants you and asks if you are available, you cannot just say no
Adil Rashid
Asked if there was a lack of support from Yorkshire on his Test selection, Rashid said: “At times there can be. They might be disappointed for various reasons, but it would have been nice if the chief executive or head coach could have said, ‘well done, congratulations on being selected, good on you’ – as opposed to being angry and upset for not playing red-ball cricket for them, even though I told them I would not be doing so,” he signed off.