Adil Rashid - a glimpse into the future

When friends ask me just how good Adil Rashid is going to be, I'm generally stumped (see what I did there?).

Having read more than enough about him, I know enough to think he's going to be pretty damn special. However, I can never tell those asking with good authority that he's the answer to all our long standing prayers. English cricket fans have been crying out for their own version of Shane Warne for years now and the last thing Rashid needs is to be built up to those stupendous heights. He's 21, for goodness sake.

Finally, the other day, I had the pleasure to watch him bowl, live on TV in a Twenty20 game. Admittedly, T20 is hardly the best way to judge a cricketer's skills, let alone a young prospect like Rashid. Throw into the mix the fact that his team, Yorkshire, were defending an extremely modest total. Needless to say, it's hard to judge him on this sole performance. But, I digress.

Regardless of the context, Rashid was brought on to bowl the fifth over, with Lancashire rollicking away on 40 odd for no wicket. His first ball was a gem - tossed up high and dipping back down, the left handed batsman advanced down the wicket to heave it over midwicket, only to misread the pitch of the ball. Luckily for him, he got a healthy edge and the ball darted away for a couple of runs.

Very next ball, Rashid pitched it up a little higher. The batsman tried to repeat the shot, missed and the ball spun sharply back and bowled him through the gate. It caught everyone by surprise and delighted the hordes on Western Terrace at Headingley; it was a cracking delivery and completely out of the blue, given the consummate ease with which the batsman had gone about the first four overs. Rashid then bowled four dot balls, beating the bat twice more. In Twenty20 terms, the over was absolutely fantastic. In pure cricketing terms, it was still bloody brilliant.

I'm not one for grandiose statements and outlandish predictions but watching Rashid bowl was thrilling. He has a nice, natural action - slightly reminiscent of Warne but with his own unique style. The way the ball comes out of his hand, you sense that something is going to happen and that it won't be that easy to play, regardless of how set the batter is. If that three minute example was any indication, Rashid will be an immense force for the future, maybe not quite in the Warne category but definitely a match winner in his own right.

He even bats like a dream, from what I'm told. He has two first class hundreds and has shown a capability to bat in the middle order. I know what many may be thinking; an English leg spinner who can bat? Must be a dream. It's important to keep both his and our own feet on the ground regarding Rashid but if potential is good enough to go by then this kid is going to be a beauty of a player - potential is something he has in abundance.

Rashid is in England's Twenty20 World cup squad as a replacement for Andrew Flintoff and his all round skills could possibly see him get a game. However, those six balls I witnessed may have just been flukes (although I severely doubt it). Having praised the value of the over to my housemate, the first ball of his next over was dispatched for six.

I knew, almost immediately, that I had cursed the poor soul.