England captain Harry Brook has defended the side’s decision to leave Adil Rashid out of their ODI clash against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ODI tri-series in Pakistan. Brook asserted that the selection call was justified despite a heartbreaking two-wicket defeat in a match that churned out 859 runs.
In the high-scoring match in Rawalpindi, Brook slammed an incredible double-century, but his extraordinary effort remained unrewarded, with Sri Lanka pulling off a stunning run chase. In place of Adil Rashid, England brought in Liam Dawson, and Brook maintained that the team’s decision to select Dawson ahead of Rashid was based on tactical considerations.
“In hindsight, I don't know. We brought Daws in for Rash, and I think Daws was probably the pick of the bowlers. He kept the stumps in play for the majority of the game, and I thought Daws was probably our best bowler today," Brook said at the press conference.
Rashid, a veteran bowler, has been a cornerstone of England’s white-ball bowling attack, having featured in 159 ODI matches. Meanwhile, Rashid’s performance in England’s defeat against Pakistan on Tuesday may have contributed to his omission. In that match, he conceded 55 runs in eight overs while claiming one wicket. Dawson, on the other hand, finished with figures of 71-1 from his 10 overs. Amid all this, Harry Brook’s gutsy double hundred stood out, but Sri Lanka managed to pull off that herculean task.
"I always say I want to make match-winning contributions and have a match-winning impact. Unfortunately, I've got 200, and it's not been match-winning – so in my eyes, it doesn't matter."