Former England captain Michael Vaughan was unrepentant in his criticism of Adil Rashid‘s Test recall and questioned the leg-spinner’s absence for Yorkshire in the County Championship last week.
Rashid has returned to the Test fold ahead of the India series, more than 18 months after winning the last of his 10 caps and despite his self-imposed exile from first-class cricket this year.
Vaughan initially branded the divisive selection as “ridiculous” and a “stab in the back for county cricket”, drawing the ire of Rashid, who said his former Yorkshire team-mate’s remarks were “stupid”.
The Ashes 2005-winning skipper, though, believes Rashid had the opportunity to prove he deserved a Test lifeline in Yorkshire’s championship clash against Lancashire – a fixture in which England regulars Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and James Anderson featured.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live‘s Tuffers and Vaughan programme, Vaughan said: “If I’m stupid to suggest that he should have played a four-day game leading into a Test series against the number one team in the world – I firmly believe the cricketing world has gone nuts if he thinks he doesn’t have to do that.
Vaughan feels Rashid should have played the Championship game.
“This all could have been put to bed if England had sat him down and said he has to play in that four-day game.
“I cannot be wrong that I’m asking someone to prepare their body, their mind. I don’t think he has prepared well enough.
“It’s not just me that has criticised him so he can come at me all he wants, but it’s our job to have an opinion and my opinion is that if someone is not playing four-day cricket in our schooling ground to prepare Test match cricketers, I don’t think you should be able to play in a Test match.”
