Adil Rashid: Being a role model is great - I love being an inspiration

England all-rounder Adil Rashid insists that being a role model for thousands of young Asian cricketers does not put pressure on him.

Speaking at the launch of NatWest’s ‘Cricket has no boundaries’ campaign, the 29-year-old Yorkshire star told Yahoo Sport that he loves offering hope to children who aspire to greatness and that he is proof it is possible to succeed.

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He said: “10-15 years ago there were not as many opportunities but now with ‘Chance to Shine’, kids can pay the game and it gives them a bit of hope.

“Every culture, every background, they all have a chance to shine, be they white, black, Asian backgrounds – they are getting to know each other.

“I am a role model but it does not put pressure on me – it’s a nice feeling knowing that kids look up to me knowing that if they train hard they can do what I have done.”

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Rashid also tried his hand at blind cricket at the launch, and concluded: “Coming here, seeing how it’s played and learning the rules – it’s really tough. Tricky.

“It just shows how fortunate we are to be able to play the game and see what we are doing.”

Chance

Rashid has been named in England’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy which starts next month and he feels England have a good chance of doing well.

He said: “We are playing very good cricket at the moment and we have a very good squad, and team – all bases covered.

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“If we stick to our game plan we have a very good chance of going a long way.”

Adil Rashid was speaking during the launch of NatWest’s ‘Cricket has no boundaries’ campaign which celebrates the sport’s inclusivity. NatWest is the new Principal Partner of England Cricket having supported the game since 1981. Find out more at natwest.com/cricket #NoBoundaries