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More than a decade and a half after his initial cap, Adil Rashid would be justified in tiring of the global cricket grind. Currently in New Zealand for his 35th T20 international competition, he outlines that busy, routine existence when talking about the group-connecting brief holiday 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.”

Yet his enthusiasm is clear, not only when he talks about the near-term prospects of a side that seems to be flourishing with 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 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, 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, retired from international cricket last year. However, Rashid continues essential: that four-wicket performance raised his annual count to 19, half a dozen beyond another English bowler. Only three English bowlers have taken so many T20 international wickets in a calendar year: Graeme Swann in 2010, Sam Curran in 2022, and Rashid in 2021, 2022, 2024 and now 2025. But there are still no thoughts of the end; his attention stays on defeating rivals, not closing his career.

“One hundred per cent I’ve still got the hunger, the craving to feature for England and symbolize my nation,” Rashid affirms. “Personally, I believe that’s the top accomplishment in any athletic field. I continue to hold that zeal for England. I feel that once the passion fades, or whatever occurs, that’s the moment you consider: ‘Alright, let’s seriously ponder it’. At the moment I haven’t really thought of anything else. I possess that passion, with plenty of cricket ahead.

“I aim to belong to this side, this roster we possess today, during the upcoming adventure we face, 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 cannot predict future events. 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 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 instead of starts: a renewed side with a changed leader, a changed mentor and new vistas. “We are embarked on that path,” Rashid notes. “There are a few new faces. Some have departed, some have joined, 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. Yes, there’s going to be hiccups along the way, 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 hiring of ex-All Blacks mental coach Gilbert Enoka, implies a specific concentration on developing additional value from this squad apart from a lineup. and Rashid believes this is a particular strength of McCullum’s.

“We feel like a unit,” 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 strive to confirm we follow our ethics in that manner. Let’s ensure we remain united, that cohesion we share, that camaraderie.

“It’s a nice thing to have, everybody’s got each other’s backs 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 quite calm, easygoing, but he is sharp in his mentoring role, he is focused in that aspect. And he desires to foster that setting. Indeed, we are tranquil, we are serene, but we’re making sure that when we go on that pitch we’re focused and we’re going for it. A lot of credit goes to Baz for creating that environment, and with hope, we can continue that for much more time.”