There was a statistic doing the rounds ahead of England’s recent ODI series defeat by the West Indies that epitomised the situation the white-ball side are in right now.

Adil Rashid, one of England’s greatest ever spinners, was listed as the squad’s top run-scorer despite having racked up just 889 career ODI runs with one fifty.

The position of the 36-year-old at the summit of the charts highlights the changing times English white-ball cricket is in as a new generation is ushered in, with Rashid one of the few surviving members of the all-conquering side that won the 2019 World Cup.

Among the ODI group in the Caribbean, he was joined by only Jofra Archer from the XI at Lord’s on that famous day – and the Barbados-born quick has spent much of the past five years injured.

Yet, despite the 2-1 defeat by the West Indies – which capped a dismal period where England have lost 13 of their past 20 ODI matches – the subsequent T20I series victory that saw the likes of Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley and Saqib Mahmood impress hints at positive signs going forward.

‘It’s a completely different dynamic,’ Rashid exclusively tells Mail Sport. ‘We’ve got a very young squad with a couple of experienced players that have been there for a little while, but that’s something that is exciting for English cricket.

The 36-year-old remains an integral member of England’s transitional white-ball teams

In England’s ODI squad against the West Indies, Rashid and Jofra Archer were the only members who were in England’s XI during the famous 2019 World Cup final triumph

‘There are a lot of young and talented players coming through so things are looking good for the future.’

Rashid, now 36 and with 331 white-ball international wickets, is speaking from a position of vast experience having had a career that has witnessed the good and bad times of English cricket.

His international debut 15 years ago saw England suffer an embarrassing defeat by the Netherlands in the 2009 World T20, but the Yorkshireman was arguably the trump card in Eoin Morgan’s side during their journey from white-ball also-rans to becoming the first team to hold both the 50-over and T20 World Cups simultaneously.

The 36-year-old also showed signs of his immense quality during 19 Test matches, although he was never able to quite crack red-ball international cricket in the way he has proven to be such an outstanding performer in coloured clothing.

Some of the lows Rashid has experienced have come over the past 12 months, with England’s 50-over defence in India last year ending in disastrous fashion when they won three out of nine games to crash out in the group stage.

They did reach the semi-finals of the World T20 earlier this year, yet Matthew Mott’s side were still widely chastised for their performances during that tournament – and the Australian subsequently lost his job.

This has led to post-mortems into England’s struggles, particularly in 50-over cricket, with some arguing the focus on the Test side and the failure to prioritise the one-day format at domestic level has played a role.

But for Rashid, he refutes suggestions that something is fundamentally wrong with England’s white-ball game.

Rashid made his international debut in 2009 and is a vastly experienced cricketer

The leg-spinner was one of the few bright spots in England’s dismal World Cup defence 

Despite England’s recent struggles, Rashid insisted they are just part and parcel of the game

‘That’s (the recent struggles) just part and parcel of cricket,’ he explains. ‘If you look back, who wins World Cups every year?

‘We’ve won a T20 and ODI World Cup in the past five years and we’ve gone to a semi-final in a T20 World Cup.

‘OK, we lost the 50-over World Cup and we didn’t qualify. But, if you look back at the whole period, we’ve been a lot more successful than not.

‘So, these people who are saying something about that or saying we’re not as successful, they don’t know much about cricket.

‘In sport, you can’t win every championship because there are other teams involved, and you’ve got competition. That’s how life works as well.

‘At the moment, we’re just looking to improve and get better each game and each series we play. When we hear these things from people, we don’t take note anyway, because it doesn’t make sense.’

Rashid is speaking to Mail Sport on behalf of Taste of Cricket, a new cookbook celebrating diversity in the game that incorporates the favourite dishes of several figures, from players to community figures and celebrities.

Rashid’s contribution is his beloved Moroccan Chicken Tagine, a dish that is also whisked up on occasions by the much-loved Lord’s caterers.

Adil Rashid was speaking to Mail Sport on behalf of Taste of Cricket, a new cookbook celebrating diversity in the game (pictured – Chris Jordan at a Taste of Cricket event in July)

Rashid, who contributed a Moroccan Chicken Tagine, at an ECB Tape Ball game back in April

And for the leg-spinner, the importance of being involved in the book is about more than just increasing the profile of his favourite dish.

‘Food has always played a big part in my life,’ he says. ‘As someone of Pakistani heritage, some of my fondest memories are centred around mealtimes with family.

‘To be a part of a sport that celebrates different cuisines and cultures in such a unique way is really special.

‘It (the book) is also to show that diversity in terms of foods itself, from all around the world, and how important it is for us cricketers as well when we go out and play cricket, that we do try these kinds of food. We explore and we cherish these moments.

‘Experiencing different cultures and bringing all those communities together through food is something really special in our game.’

Rashid admits that there isn’t much of a cooking culture when England are on tour, although he’s adamant when asked if there’s a team-mate he wouldn’t want making him dinner.

‘Probably Moeen Ali,’ he jokes about his former spin-twin and best friend in the game. ‘I just don’t trust him and don’t think he knows how to cook.’

The focus on diversity and togetherness is something that encapsulated Rashid’s crowning moment in the game with the 2019 World Cup triumph.

Rashid joked he wouldn’t want his former England team-mate Moeen Ali making him dinner

Rashid’s crowning moment in an England shirt came when they won the World Cup in 2019

The leg-spinner hailed the unity and culture that former England captain Eoin Morgan created

England’s team was full of cricketers with a diverse range of backgrounds and journeys to that moment after they bounced back from their white-ball nadir four years earlier at the 2015 World Cup.

Rashid is clear that the transformation was about more than just the starring displays on the pitch that punters became used to watching.

‘When Eoin Morgan took over in 2015, he really stamped his authority on the team,’ he explains. ‘Not just about cricket, but in terms of what we stood for as a team.

‘One thing he emphasised was that regardless of where you came from, we’re all going to come together as one, and we’ve got a common goal to win the World Cup. And along the way, we’re going to enjoy the journey, each other’s successes, and these friendships.

‘And we obviously won the World Cup, but the whole build up to that and the unity we had, it felt like a big family.

‘It made things a lot clearer and people felt a lot more comfortable and confident within themselves on and off the pitch.

‘If you look back at when we came together, we were seventh in the ODI rankings, but to move to number one in a period of three to four years, it’s a remarkable achievement of how things can change around very quickly.

‘Just from the presence of a different captain or different mindset of players and coaches, and how we all came together. It’s something we all look back on with a lot of pride.’

Rashid had a big role in England’s transformation from white-ball also-rans to world champions

Despite being 36, he remains an integral part of England’s side (pictured with Rehan Ahmed) 

Rashid’s favoured Moroccan Chicken Tagine features in the cookbook, which is one of a kind

Rashid’s position as England’s top ODI run-scorer will not be safe for long if the likes of Buttler, Root and Stokes return to the fold in the New Year, but his bowling remains as important as ever, with the next generation of spinners yet to really establish themselves at the top level.

His next major assignment will be February’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan before World Cups in both 20 and 50-over formats come in 2026 and 2027 respectively.

Despite his age and several of his former team-mates moving on, Rashid has his eyes firmly set on adding more accolades to his trophy cabinet.

‘We’ve got three big ICC tournaments coming up,’ he says. ‘Ideally, you want to win all three and you strive for that.

‘That’s what we’re aiming for as a white-ball team. But hopefully in three years time we can look back and think we have got at least one more trophy in the bank.

‘But we also want to accumulate series wins together and be able to say ‘“we won this series, we won that series”, so as long as it’s going on an upward climb we’ll be in a great position.’

And what about Rashid?

‘At this moment in time, I’m just enjoying my cricket and the transformation of the team,’ he adds.

‘I’ve not thought about anything regarding retirement or calling it a day and I’m doing all right at the moment as well.

‘I’m looking to improve myself as a cricketer day-by-day and when that love and hunger for the game is not there, that’s when it’ll be like “OK, this is a time where I step down”.’

To find out more and to purchase the Taste of Cricket cookbook, visit