Give Rashid time to fine-tune his talent

3:54pm Friday 9th May 2008

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If you're good enough, you're old enough.

It's become a favourite saying at a time when teams are encouraged to throw talented youngsters straight into the action and then worry about the consequences.

While it might have worked with the likes of Wayne Rooney, there are plenty of examples where too much was expected far too soon.

Promising careers can be burned out before they have even begun.

So it was good to hear some wise words of caution from two former England cricket captains when asked about Yorkshire's exciting Bradford-born leg spinner Adil Rashid.

The 20-year-old's reputation is spreading fast. He is currently at Hampshire's Rose Bowl playing for England Lions against New Zealand in a team alongside Matthew Hoggard and one-day internationals like Matt Prior, Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara.

So inevitably the clamour is growing for Rashid to be fast-tracked into the firing line; especially so given that England are not falling over themselves with guys who can turn the ball the other way.

You'd think that Mike Gatting, now one of the forces behind developing English cricket at all levels, and an equally proud former skipper Alec Stewart would be at the front pushing his claims.

But listening to them at a recent dinner in Leeds, they both urged the selectors to resist temptation and allow Rashid the time to fine-tune his game in the county arena.

Stewart believes he needs at least another 18 months to mature before being thrust into the England spotlight. Rashid is still learning his trade at domestic level, so why inflict him with the added responsibility of being our "next big thing" in the national team?

There will never be another Shane Warne. He was a one-off - as Gatting, victim of that historic first ball, will forever testify.

Rashid is a great talent who should be nurtured along. He will undoubtedly play for England one day but time is on his side.

Let Yorkshire enjoy the benefits while he perfects the leg-spin art.

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