Adil Rashid

His first Test, against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, was a mixed affair. He went for close to 5 runs an over, yet he also claimed his first five-wicket haul in that same match. In 2016 he was handed the role of lead spinner for a demanding seven-Test trip, made up of two matches in Bangladesh and five in India. He played every one of those games and took 30 wickets, including five four-wicket returns, though none became a five-wicket haul. Across his 12 innings with the ball he never conceded fewer than 3 runs per over. England won just one of the seven Tests, lost five and drew one, and Rashid slipped down the selection order afterwards.

The white-ball side became his home. In the reshaped ODI team led by Eoin Morgan after the 2015 World Cup, he grew into a key figure, prized for taking wickets, with an economy rate of 5.5. In 2018 he collected 42 wickets in 24 ODIs. That form earned a surprise recall to the Test squad for the home series against India that summer, even though he had chosen not to play red-ball cricket for his county. Later in 2018 he was part of the England squad that won all three Tests of a series in Sri Lanka.

Rashid played an important part in England's World Cup-winning campaign, particularly through the middle overs. Having not been involved in the 2010 T20 World Cup triumph, he was a central member of the side that lifted the T20 World Cup in 2022 under Jos Buttler. His ODI appearances became less frequent after the pandemic.