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After a decade and a half since his debut, Adil Rashid could be forgiven for feeling exhausted by the non-stop cricket circuit. Now in New Zealand for his 35th T20 international competition, he outlines that busy, routine existence as he mentions the team-bonding mini‑break in Queenstown with which England started their winter: “At times, these moments are scarce during endless tours,” 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 under Harry Brook and his own place in it, but also when watching Rashid train, play or bowl. But while he was able to stop New Zealand in their tracks as they aimed to overhaul England’s monumental 236 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Monday night, when his four‑wicket haul included all but one of their five highest scorers, no action can prevent the passage of time.

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Rashid will turn 38 in February, midway through the T20 World Cup. When the next ODI World Cup occurs near the end of 2027 he’ll be close to 40. His longtime friend and present podcast colleague Moeen Ali, merely some months elder, ended his international cricket career last year. But Rashid remains integral: that four-wicket performance raised his annual count to 19, six more than any other Englishman. Merely three English cricketers have achieved such T20 international wickets in a single year: Graeme Swann in 2010, Sam Curran in 2022, plus Rashid in 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. But no plans exist for conclusion; his attention stays on defeating rivals, not closing his career.

“Totally, I retain the appetite, the eagerness to compete for England and stand for my country,” Rashid declares. “From my view, that’s the greatest success in all sports. That fervor for England persists within me. I feel that once the passion fades, or whatever occurs, then you reflect: ‘Okay, time to genuinely evaluate it’. Right now, I’ve not considered other options. I hold that drive, and much cricket remains.

“I aim to belong to this side, this roster we possess today, on the next journey we have, which hopefully will be nice and I want to be part of it. 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. Around the corner things can change very quickly. Existence and cricket are highly uncertain. I always like to stay present – a game at a time, a step at a time – and let things unfold, see where cricket and life takes me.”

From several perspectives, this isn’t the moment to consider conclusions, but rather of beginnings: a renewed side with a changed leader, a changed mentor and new vistas. “We’re on that journey,” Rashid notes. “Several new players are present. Certain individuals have left, others have arrived, and that’s merely part of the process. Yet we possess know-how, we have young talent, we feature top-tier cricketers, we’ve got Brendon McCullum, who’s a very, very good coach, and everybody’s buying in to what we’re trying to achieve. Certainly, there will be obstacles during the journey, that’s typical in cricket, but we are undoubtedly concentrated and fully attentive, for all future challenges.”

The wish to arrange that Queenstown visit, and the recruitment of the former All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka, suggests there is a particular focus on creating something more from this group of players than just an XI. and Rashid feels this is a distinct asset of McCullum’s.

“We sense we are a cohesive group,” he conveys. “We experience a familial atmosphere, encouraging each other no matter success or failure, you have a good day or a bad day. We attempt to ensure we adhere to our principles thus. 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 environment that Baz and we are trying to create, and we have developed. And hopefully we can, regardless of whether we have a good day or a bad day.

“Baz is very composed, laid-back, but he is sharp in his mentoring role, he is diligent in that regard. And he wants to create that environment. Indeed, we are tranquil, we are serene, 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.”