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Adil Rashid
One for the future? Adil Rashid will be hoping to play for England in the next Ashes series

Adil Rashid and Luke Wright hoping to crash the Ashes party

Tom Collomosse
28 Aug 2009


When England begin their first Twenty20 international against Australia on Sunday, the Ashes victory will still be fresh in the minds of most players. But for Luke Wright and Adil Rashid, the match marks the start of their campaign to be involved in the next battle for the urn in 15 months' time.

Wright and Rashid will link up with the England squad tomorrow, following today's one-day international against Ireland in Belfast. Within the group of players pushing for a place on the winter tour to South Africa, it is these two who are pressing their claims the hardest.

Wright has been in and out of England's one-day side since making his debut in 2007, and was an integral part of Sussex's victory in the Twenty20 Cup this season. The 24-year-old all-rounder has excelled at both disciplines for Sussex this year, averaging almost 48 with the bat and 34 with the ball.

"I have massive ambitions to play Test cricket," said Wright. "It's natural for people to think of me as a one-day player, but I've been working very hard at my four-day game and it's starting to go well for me.

"I enjoyed my time on the last England Lions tour to New Zealand and playing in the World Twenty20 in June was amazing, so it's up to me to keep showing people what I can do."

While Wright has 25 more caps than Rashid, whose four appearances in the World Twenty20 represent his only international experience, the Yorkshire leg-spinner is probably the more exciting prospect.

At 21, Rashid is still maturing, and his performances in the limited-overs matches against Australia will show what progress he has made since June's World Twenty20 in June.

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