Rashid Bowled Over By Call Up

RASHID BOWLED OVER BY CALL UP

-      Slazenger ambassador included in England test tour to West Indies -

Slazenger would like to congratulate Yorkshire all-rounder Adil Rashid on his inclusion in the England test squad to tour the West Indies in February. Rashid celebrated his call up as one of three spin bowlers in a 16-man squad which will head to the Caribbean.

The 20-year-old from Bradford took 62 wickets for Yorkshire last season and boasts a first-class batting average of 32, including two centuries and 10 half-centuries.

Rashid was signed up by Slazenger after the 2003 Bunbury ESCA Festival - as a 15-year-old leg-spinner he received The Daily Telegraph Award for outstanding player of the festival. The event provides an opportunity for young cricketers to showcase their talents in order to progress to win full senior caps at both county and international level. As a part of the ECB's Development of Excellence Programme, it represents the pinnacle of a young cricketer's career. In total, 35 England Test cricketers have been 'discovered' at this festival.

The youngster has benefited under the tutelage of Australian leg-spin guru Terry Jenner, and his development has been assisted by the ECB wrist spin development programme.

Rashid uses the Slazenger Hyper Blade bat model, currently available in the new 2009 range. It has been developed for aggressive stroke makers, with a long high middle for exaggerated performance whilst driving.

Rashid is delighted to have chosen Slazenger and commenting on his sponsorship agreement, said: “I am very proud to be associated with Slazenger. They have a track record of manufacturing top quality products, and I am pleased to be in the company of some of the game’s most high profile figures as an ambassador for such a high quality brand as Slazenger.”