Rashid cites family illness for Championship absence

Adil Rashid has defended his request to be omitted from Yorkshire's final County Championship match of the season, against Middlesex at Lord's starting tomorrow, citing a family illness as an additional reason for his absence.

Rashid, whose busy year has included stints with Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash and a leading role in England's World T20 campaign in India, asked to be excused from Yorkshire's potential County Championship decider because he needed to rest ahead of England's tour of Bangladesh, which gets underway at the end of the month.

Yorkshire go into the final round needing victory against the current leaders, Middlesex, to have any chance of securing their third title in a row, and they will have to do so without the services of either Rashid or Jonny Bairstow, who was controversially refused permission by the ECB to take part in the contest.

Jason Gillespie, preparing for his final match as Yorkshire coach, told Cricday: "It's obviously frustrating about Rash and I said to him I hope he doesn't regret the decision he has made. But I fully respect his decision. He has played a lot of cricket and he feels he needs a rest."

However, in a pointed tweet, Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale, who has been known to let his emotions show in the past, posted: "Yes, he wants to rest. That's his decision. I'll take 11 lads on the field who will give everything to win."

While the club itself stopped short of criticising their player, who has claimed 32 wickets at 33.84 and 393 runs at 28.07 in ten Championship appearances this season, Yorkshire's supporters have not been so kind, and in a statement posted on his Twitter account on Monday, Rashid insisted his decision had been influenced by a family member, believed to be his grandmother, being admitted to hospital.

"Unfortunately I have not travelled down with the Yorkshire lads this week as one of my closest family members has been very ill and was recently admitted to hospital," read the statement. "I didn't feel that I am in a strong enough mental frame of mind to be at my best, although I did make myself available if I was required to play I felt I could be letting the lads down. But coupled with my personal reasons I have also had a heavy period of cricket recently for Yorkshire and England which has been both physically and mentally draining and it is very unfortunate timing.

"Family comes first for me and I will be away on England duty this winter with a busy playing schedule. I have been in touch with the Yorkshire players and coaches and I will be wishing the lads all the best this game and I am desperately hoping we can lift the trophy for a 3rd year in a row."

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire's director of cricket, sought to move on in The Times, suggesting that illness of a family member had latterly become "a secondary reason". Moxon said: "Initially it was about him saying he was tired and sore and stiff and so on. As fdar as we are concerned it is the end of the matter... there is no animosity at all."