All-rounder Rashid admits 'heart's not in red-ball cricket'

London [United Kingdom], Feb 23 (ANI): England leg-spinner Adil Rashid admitted that he signed an only white-ball contract with Yorkshire because his heart is no more in the red-ball cricket.

Rashid was the lead-wicket-taker for England Test side during Bangladesh and India tour in 2016-17, despite his form the right-arm bowler was excluded from this winter's Ashes squad.

However, he said that the decision to switch to a white-ball cricket was not motivated by the omission.

"It's very much my decision. It's something that I've thought about and felt I had to do, and has been inside me for a little while," ESPNcricinfo quoted Rashid as saying.

The 30-year-old added, "The enjoyment, the spark, the buzz. All that came into it. I couldn't go through another season doing this -- it could affect my performance, my bowling and that could easily rub off into other competitions and white-ball stuff."

The bowling all-rounder was also surrounded by controversies when he made himself unavailable for the Yorkshire showdown with Middlesex at Lord's in 2016, citing "fatigue and family reasons".

"Last year playing red-ball cricket for Yorkshire, my thought was that if I wasn't giving 100 percent then I would be letting the team down and also myself down. It was a decision made purely because of how I felt playing red-ball cricket at this time. My mind's not there, my heart's not there, I'm letting the team down but also myself down," Rashid said.

Rashid, who earned his England Test call in 2008, has played 10 International Test matches and has taken 38 wickets at an average of 42.78.

The England player, however, said that the decision is not permanent and he could reconsider his position the coming seasons.

"It's not a permanent thing. It's for this season, to see how it goes, how it unfolds and what happens. See what my mind says and what my heart feels. If it changes I could be going back to red ball cricket next season. That's a long way away, and a lot can change. At this moment in time I'm very content with what I'm doing," Rashid said. (ANI)