Adil Rashid believes he has returned to the England set-up as a better bowler following his successful Big Bash League.
The Yorkshire leg-spinner was voted the tournament’s second-best player after his 16 wickets, and miserly economy rate, helped Adelaide Strikers top the table.
While they would suffer a semi-final defeat to eventual champions Sydney Thunder for Rashid, who was released by the England and Wales Cricket Board to play in the competition, it was a valuable learning experience ahead of an important couple of months in England colours.
“Everywhere you go you experience stuff and you look to learn,” he told ecb.co.uk.
“When I went to Australia you learn how to bowl on those pitches and on different fields as well – bigger grounds and smaller grounds, different players, different staff and coaches.
“Everything is completely new to you so it is just adapting to those conditions and learning how to do and bring that wherever you go whether it is South Africa, India. You need that experience to know what to bowl on the day.”
Rashid was able to mesmerise the batsmen Down Under with his ability to turn the ball both ways and underline the importance of a wrist spinner in the short formats.
The chance to do it in front of jam-packed stadiums – the Adelaide Oval has a capacity of 50,000 – only further served to add to the buzz and will arguably stand Rashid in good stead with the pressure environment of a World T20 in India just around the corner.
“It was good, great fun. Knowing at every game you are going to get 45,000-plus and you are playing once a week so there is a nice build-up to every game,” he said.
“The players you are playing with are great players and against the world’s best as well. It was a great experience for me.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it and hopefully I can go back there.”
Rashid is now focusing on translating his form to England as they prepare for the limited-overs series against South Africa.
England will play five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s with the opener on Wednesday in Bloemfontein.
South Africa will have appoint to prove after losing the Test series and, while their bowling stocks shave been depleted by injury, they were 3-2 winners in India when they last played in the format.
AB de Villiers’ side also reached last year’s World Cup semi-finals, when they lost a thriller against New Zealand, although England have proved in the past nine months that they are not cowed by reputation.
A series win in South Africa would be another important step forward for an evolving team and Rashid is confident they are capable of winning the series.
“I think it will be tough but I definitely think we’ve got the players to win the series,” he said.
“We have good batsmen and we have good bowlers and I think we have all bases covered.
“We’re a young side as well and if we play to our potential we can win the series.”
Source: ECB