Even explosive Windies can’t play Rashid, says Moeen

moeen ALi says West indies’ approach to Adil Rashid highlights the respect in which england’s leg-spinner is now held worldwide. Although the Windies’ heavy artillery have launched 30 sixes, they have been reduced to friendly fire whenever the Yorkshireman has been brought into the attack. no bowler to have sent down more than five overs across these past three twenty20 internationals can match Rashid’s economy rate of under a run a ball for combined figures of 12-1-70-4. Ahead of today’s fourth contest at Kensington oval, which england cannot lose if they are to avoid only a second series defeat in 12, stand-in captain moeen said: ‘i’ve been saying this for a while. i think the other day showed the difference between him and everybody else in that side. he showed his class and amazing control. ‘it’s not always about taking wickets, and when everybody else seems not to be able to bowl very well, he seems to have bowled fantastically. ‘if there is one team in the world where, if you bowl it in the slot, they will hit it for six, it is these guys. he’s just not giving them the balls that they want, with his mystery.’ With 78 wickets, Rashid is now only two behind Chris Jordan, england’s most prolific bowler in this format. Jordan missed only his third t20 international in 68 in Wednesday’s 20-run defeat and could return to the side along with Sam Billings, who was rested following his recent globetrotting. eoin morgan, missing the weekend double-header with a low-grade quadriceps tear, will retain his influence on selection but may have his hand forced with Liam Livingstone still experiencing lingering effects from the oesophagitis that sidelined him for the first two games. Bizarrely, West indies yesterday felt the need to defend the selection of Rovman Powell, their match-winning centurion of midweek, following allegations of a rift between odean Smith, who was dropped for Powell, and captain Kieron Pollard. ‘i view this as a malicious Mr Consistent: Adil Rashid attack on the credibility of the West indies captain, designed to sow division within our team that has just recorded three very impressive t20i performances against very strong opponents,’ said Windies president Ricky Skerritt. l the iCC yesterday confirmed that ex-nottinghamshire batsman Brendan taylor has been banned for three-and-a-half years for four breaches of their anti-corruption code, and that he failed a drugs test during his final international series for Zimbabwe last September — as he revealed in an exclusive interview with Sportsmail earlier this week.