'I hope England know what they're doing'

Adil Rashid's own county chief executive has led the outcry over the wrist-spinner's sensational selection in England's Test squad to face India.

Despite seemingly abandoning his immediate Test ambitions by making himself unavailable for first-class cricket with Yorkshire at the beginning of the UK season, Rashid told England's selection panel this week he'd accept a recall after standout recent limited-overs performances.

The 30-year-old however remains unavailable for Yorkshire in the County Championship, with the club's CEO admitting he was as taken aback as any by England's decision.

"We're very surprised that England have called Adil up after not playing red ball cricket this season. Neither has he expressed a desire to do so," said Yorkshire chief Mark Arthur.

In a pointed message to national selectors, Arthur added: "I hope that England know what they're doing to Adil, and the county game."

England selection chair Ed Smith described the leg-spinner's Test selection as a "one-off" but that the panel had been unanimous in their desire to include him in the 13-man squad.

"Before the selection meeting, Adil had confirmed his availability to play Test cricket for England for whole of this summer and the upcoming winter tours to Sri Lanka and West Indies," said Smith.

"Adil fully understands that if he wishes to be eligible for Test cricket in the 2019 season, he must have a county contract to play four-day cricket.

"Moving forward, England Test players must be committed to the county championship."

A host of former England skippers warned against picking Rashid this week, while Michael Vaughan reiterated his forthright views on the matter after the selection was confirmed, labelling the decision "ridiculous".

In his column for The Times earlier this week, Michael Atherton wrote: "Rashid must make himself available for domestic first-class cricket before a possible return to the Test team. It is important for every cricketer who has been dropped or ignored by the selectors but who chooses to fight for his place.

"There were many reasons why Rashid opted out of first-class cricket — disillusionment, T20 opportunities, lack of enjoyment — but bowling spin in long-form cricket is undoubtedly much harder, physically and mentally, than in one-day cricket

"It would be terrific to see him play Test cricket again but he took the easy route when he opted out of first-class cricket; he should not be given an easy route back in."

Many of England's leading Test players featured for their counties this week in four-day matches but Rashid was not among them, sitting out Yorkshire's win over Lancashire at Old Trafford.

The leg-spinner has not played a competitive first-class match since September last year but is in line to be entrusted with spin duties against the ICC's No.1 ranked Test side whose top order features many of the world's best players of slow-bowling.

Should he be named in the final XI to face India, Rashid will be the fifth spin bowler England have tried in six Tests this year after Mason Crane, Moeen Ali (who has also been recalled for the Edgbaston clash), Jack Leach and Dom Bess.

Leach suffered a concussion on his return to county cricket with Somerset after breaking his thumb on the eve of England's recent two-Test series against Pakistan and has yet to add to his debut cap against New Zealand in Christchurch.

"Jack Leach has had an exceptional run of bad luck, which now leaves him short of bowling at the start of the series against India," Smith said in explaining his omission.

Bess was recently overlooked by his county team Somerset for a four-day match, while Crane was ruled out of the English domestic summer with a stress fracture in his back.

- with AFP.

England squad for first Test against India: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.