Joe Root and England are facing a problem of trying to fill their spinning berths for the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka.

Adil Rashid – Man of the Match in the pink ODI at the Wanderers – and Moeen Ali have both continued to make themselves unavailable for their country in Test cricket.

The pair took 30 wickets in 2018 when Sri Lanka’s plan to prepare pitches that favoured the slow bowlers backfired. However, Root will have to look to Jack Leach, who left South Africa will illness, and Dom Bess as his primary options with Hampshire’s Liam Dawson likely to take up the third spot in the travelling party.

This after Rashid insisted he has work to do back home before returning to the national side.

‘Probably not. It’s something that I personally feel I’ve got to earn again. I’ve got to go back into county cricket, get the performances under my belt and then get selected on merit,’ said Rashid on why he would not be heading to the sub-continent with the team.

‘If the selectors do ask me, “If you are available, can you play?” it would be a straight no. I feel as though I’ve got to deserve my place back in the team.’

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