London: Adil Rashid is set to miss England’s white-ball series against India after being given clearance by cricket chiefs to make a holy pilgrimage to Mecca. One of the five pillars of Islam, the hajj is meant to be undertaken by all Muslims who are able and have the means at least once in their lives.
It consists of a series of religious rites that are completed over five days in Islam’s holiest city, Mecca, and surrounding areas of western Saudi Arabia.
Rashid has so far found it difficult to make the journey because of his cricket commitments, but the 34-year-old leg-spinner, who will be travelling with his wife, has been given the all-clear to head to Saudi Arabia this weekend by both county club Yorkshire and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
As a result, he will miss part of Yorkshire’s domestic Twenty20 Blast campaign as well as England’s upcoming T20 and one-day international matches at home to India.
Rashid is not the only cricketer missing international matches in order to take part in the hajj, with Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim having skipped the ongoing limited-overs tour of the West Indies to make the pilgrimage.
