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Following a decade and a half after his initial cap, Adil Rashid would be justified in tiring of the international cricket treadmill. Presently touring New Zealand for his 35th global T20 event, he summarises that frantic, repetitive schedule while discussing the team-bonding mini‑break in Queenstown that launched England’s winter tour: “Sometimes you don’t get that opportunity when you’re always on tour,” he says. “You land, you train, you play and you travel.”

However, his passion is obvious, not only when he talks about the near-term prospects of a squad that looks to be blooming guided by Harry Brook and his own place in it, but also when watching Rashid train, play or bowl. Yet while he succeeded in curbing New Zealand’s charge as they tried to pursue England’s historic 236 at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval on Monday night, as his four-wicket spell claimed almost all of their top five batsmen, he cannot do anything to stop time.

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In February, Rashid hits the age of 38, halfway into the T20 World Cup. Once the following 50-over World Cup is held in late 2027 he will be nearly 40. His longtime friend and present podcast colleague Moeen Ali, merely some months elder, stepped away from global cricket the previous year. Yet Rashid stays crucial: that four-wicket performance raised his annual count to 19, six more than any other Englishman. Just three England bowlers have claimed as many T20I wickets in one year: Swann in 2010, Curran in 2022, and Rashid across 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. But no plans exist for conclusion; his focus remains on bringing down opponents, not curtains.

“Totally, I retain the appetite, the hunger to play for England and represent my country,” Rashid affirms. “As an individual, I think that’s the biggest achievement in any sport. That fervor for England persists within me. I feel that once the passion fades, or whatever occurs, that’s the moment you consider: ‘Alright, let’s seriously ponder it’. Right now, I’ve not considered other options. I hold that drive, and much cricket remains.

“I want to be part of this team, this squad we’ve got now, along the forthcoming path we tread, which ought to be rewarding and I intend to contribute. Ideally, we can taste success and claim World Cups, everything excellent. And I’m looking forward to hopefully participating in that journey.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen. Just ahead, situations can shift rapidly. Life and the sport are immensely volatile. I aim to keep focused on the now – each game separately, each phase gradually – and let things unfold, see where cricket and life takes me.”

In numerous aspects, now is not the period to ponder finishes, but more of origins: a fresh team with a new captain, a new coach and new horizons. “We have begun that voyage,” Rashid says. “Several new players are present. Certain individuals have left, others have arrived, and that’s just part of the cycle. But we’ve got experience, we’ve got youth, we include elite performers, we have Brendon McCullum, an excellent coach, and each person supports our objectives. Indeed, setbacks will occur on the path, that’s inherent to the sport, but we’re definitely focused and really on the ball, for all future challenges.”

The wish to arrange that Queenstown visit, and the hiring of ex-All Blacks mental coach Gilbert Enoka, implies a specific concentration on developing additional value from this squad apart from a lineup. and Rashid thinks this is a unique talent of McCullum’s.

“We perceive ourselves as a unified entity,” he expresses. “We feel like a family kind of environment, supporting one another irrespective of performance, if your outing is strong or weak. We’re trying to make sure we stick to our morals in that way. Let’s make sure we stick together, that unity we have, that brotherhood.

“It’s a nice thing to have, everybody’s got each other’s backs and that’s the atmosphere Baz and we aim to establish, and we have created. And with luck, we will, no matter if our day is successful or not.

“Baz is very composed, laid-back, but he is sharp in his mentoring role, he is focused in that aspect. And he aims to generate that climate. Certainly, we are at ease, we are cool, but we confirm that when we step onto the ground we are attentive and we are giving our all. A lot of credit goes to Baz for creating that environment, and hopefully we can carry that on for a lot longer.”