Adil Rashid to miss white-ball series against India to make Hajj pilgrimage

Adil Rashid will miss England's white-ball series against India and the latter stages of Yorkshire's T20 Blast campaign in order to make the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

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Rashid is a practicing Muslim and decided earlier this year that he had reached the right time in his life to make the pilgrimage. Moreover, he has been granted leave by the ECB and Yorkshire. He flies to the Middle East on Saturday and is expected to return in mid-July. However, he will return ahead of England's white-ball series against South Africa.

All adult Muslims are expected to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime if they are physically capable and have the financial means to do so.

Meanwhile, speaking after an England nets session in Amstelveen during their 3-0 ODI series win against the Netherlands, Rashid said:

"I've been wanting to do it for a little while but I've found it pretty difficult with the timings. This year, I felt as though it was something that I had to do, and something I wanted to do as well."

Adil Rashid told ESPNcricinfo

"I spoke to the ECB and to Yorkshire about it and they were very understanding and encouraging, like: 'yep, you do what you've got to do and then come back when you can'. Me and the missus are going and I'll be there for a couple of weeks.

"It's a massive moment: each faith has got their own different thing": Adil Rashid

"It's a massive moment: each faith has got their own different thing but for Islam and being a Muslim, this is one of the biggest ones. Also, It's a big thing for my faith and for myself.

I knew that I needed to do it while I'm young and strong and healthy. This is something that I really committed to myself that I would do."

Rashid said

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Rashid expects to miss all six limited-overs against India from July 7 to 17 but said the fixture list was not a major consideration in his decision. "It wasn't like, right, I'm playing against India - I'd better not go," he said. "That didn't really cross my mind. It was purely: right, I'm going - the decision was irrelevant to cricket, in that sense.

"All I had to do was speak to Yorkshire and England and get their go-ahead. That was very easy and they were very understanding. To have that backing from your county and from your country, it feels like a big boost."

Rashid's absence is likely to give Matt Parkinson an opportunity to play in the limited-overs series against India. The latter made his Test debut against New Zealand earlier this month as a concussion replacement for Jack Leach.