‘I’ve still got total passion’: England’s enduring Rashid has no plans to stop

Following 16 years after his initial cap, England’s seasoned bowler would be justified in growing weary of the global cricket grind. Presently touring New Zealand for his 35th global T20 event, he outlines that frantic, repetitive schedule as he mentions the team-bonding mini‑break in Queenstown which began England’s cold-weather campaign: “Occasionally, such chances are rare when constantly traveling,” he states. “Touch down, drill, perform, and journey.”

But his zeal is evident, not only when he talks about the upcoming path of a squad that looks to be blooming guided by Harry Brook and his personal role within it, plus when seeing Rashid drill, perform, or spin. But while he was able to stop New Zealand in their tracks as they attempted to chase down England’s record‑breaking 236 at the Hagley Oval ground in Christchurch on Monday night, with his four dismissals covering four of their leading five run-getters, he cannot do anything to stop time.

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Rashid will turn 38 in February, during the T20 World Cup’s middle phase. By the time the next one‑day international version is played towards the end of 2027 he will be nearly 40. His close pal and current podcast partner Moeen Ali, merely some months elder, retired from international cricket last year. Yet Rashid stays crucial: those four dismissals brought his yearly tally to 19, half a dozen beyond another English bowler. Only three English bowlers have taken so many T20 international wickets in a calendar year: Swann in 2010, Curran in 2022, and Rashid across 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. But there are still no thoughts of the end; his attention stays on defeating rivals, not closing his career.

“Absolutely, I maintain the desire, the hunger to play for England and represent my country,” Rashid affirms. “Personally, I believe that’s the top accomplishment in any athletic field. I still have that passion there for England. I think that when the passion does die down, or whatever it is, then you reflect: ‘Okay, time to genuinely evaluate it’. Right now, I’ve not considered other options. I’ve got that passion, there’s a lot of cricket to be played.

“I want to be part of this team, this squad we’ve got now, on the next journey we have, which should be pleasant and I wish to participate. Hopefully we can experience some wins and win World Cups, all the good stuff. And I’m looking forward to hopefully participating in that journey.

“We are unaware of what will occur. Just ahead, situations can shift rapidly. It’s very unpredictable, life and cricket. I prefer to remain in the moment – one match at a time, one stage at a time – and permit matters to evolve, watch where the game and life guide me.”

In many ways this is no time to be thinking of endings, but more of origins: a renewed side with a changed leader, a changed mentor and new vistas. “We’re on that journey,” Rashid says. “A handful of fresh members exist. Certain individuals have left, others have arrived, and that’s simply part of the rotation. But we’ve got experience, we’ve got youth, we feature top-tier cricketers, we employ Brendon McCullum, a superb mentor, and everybody’s buying in to what we’re trying to achieve. Certainly, there will be obstacles during the journey, that’s inherent to the sport, but we’re definitely focused and really on the ball, for whatever lies ahead.”

The desire to schedule that Queenstown trip, and the recruitment of the former All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka, indicates a special emphasis on building extra from this team beyond a playing eleven. and Rashid feels this is a distinct asset of McCullum’s.

“We perceive ourselves as a unified entity,” he says. “We experience a familial atmosphere, supporting one another irrespective of performance, if your outing is strong or weak. We strive to confirm we follow our ethics in that manner. Let’s make sure we stick together, that unity we have, that brotherhood.

“It’s a wonderful attribute, all members support one another and that’s the atmosphere Baz and we aim to establish, and we have developed. And hopefully we can, regardless of whether we have a good day or a bad day.

“Baz is very relaxed, chilled out, but he is attentive regarding coaching, he’s on it in that sense. And he aims to generate that climate. Yes, we are relaxed, we are chilled, but we ensure that once we enter the field we are concentrated and we are competing fully. Significant acknowledgment is due to Baz for building that milieu, and ideally, we can sustain that for an extended period.”