Cook defends 'spoilt brat' Rashid

Former captain Alastair Cook says Adil Rashid is mature enough to handle the pressure following his controversial recall as the spinner continues to cop criticism from former players and even his own teammates.

Rashid was included in a 13-man squad for the Edgbaston game even though he has opted out of playing first-class County Championship cricket for Yorkshire this season.

Michael Vaughan, another ex-England skipper, described the decision as a "stab in the back" for the county game while Yorkshire were unhappy with the move.

And on Monday, former captain Geoffrey Boycott labelled Rashid "a spoilt brat", comments that came after Rashid's former Yorkshire teammate Ryan Sidebottom had a thinly-veiled swipe at the 30-year-old on Twitter.

Asked if Rashid may find it difficult to give his best in England's 1000th Test, Cook said: "I think probably in the past he would have.

"(But) over the last 18 months I think he's matured as a cricketer and improved since we last saw him in an England Test shirt.

"I think he'll be fine. Clearly he's going to be nervous but I genuinely think he will cope - he's bowling brilliantly."

Boycott said Yorkshire's should have rejected Rashid's request for a white-ball only contract earlier this year and forced him to play all three formats, but that "sadly, Yorkshire didn’t have the balls to do that".

"Loyalty works two ways but it appears Adil wants to be free to play anywhere in the world there is a one-day tournament that pays him big bucks," Boycott lamented in his column for The Telegraph.

"He should reverse the roles and put himself in (Yorkshire's) position instead of thinking about himself. It makes him look like a spoilt brat. Not only has he put two fingers up to Yorkshire by not playing four-day cricket, Adil is now not available for Yorkshire’s Twenty20 matches."

Cook voiced his sympathy for Rashid, who has had to deal with the fallout following his selection rather than being allowed to celebrate his first call-up since the last of his 10 Test caps in December 2016.

"I can understand why it's caused a bit of fuss," he said.

"But you just have to get on with it and I think we should be concentrating on the positives rather than the negatives.

"We've got a different style of English spinner with a little bit of mystery to him, who's bowling really well."

Cook does not believe a significant precedent has been set to clear the way for what would be Rashid's first Test on home soil if he makes the team on Wednesday.

"I don't think it will happen very many times again," he said.

"Obviously, (national selector) Ed (Smith) said you need to be playing red-ball cricket (to be selected in future) and I think that's right.

"But sometimes in exceptional circumstances, selection goes a different way than you would like - and obviously Ed and the selectors have made a brave call."