Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed train with England in Sri Lanka after visa delays
The spin duo took to the field in Colombo for the first of two training sessions before the first ODI on Thursday.
Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed are with the white-ball squad in Sri Lanka as England returned to training just 13 days on from the end of their troubled Ashes tour.
There was concern that the spin duo would be forced to miss part of the six-match trip, which acts as a warm-up for next month’s T20 World Cup, due to a delay in their visas for India being approved.
But the issue has been resolved and the pair took to the field in Colombo for the first of two training sessions before the first ODI on Thursday.
England face tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka in three ODIs in Colombo and three T20s in Pallekelle, near Kandy, before heading to Mumbai to begin their World Cup campaign against Nepal on February 9.
It continues a long winter for England, which began when they arrived in Christchurch for their last white-ball series in New Zealand on October 15.
England then headed to Australia for the five-match Test series and, after flying home on January 9, travelled to Sri Lanka just nine days later.
Captain Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jacob Bethell and Brydon Carse – the latter will leave the group after the ODI series – have been present throughout a gruelling winter schedule.
Brook will face the media on Wednesday after a controversial end to his Ashes tour.
The 26-year-old was fined and warned about his future conduct by the England and Wales Cricket Board after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer the night before an ODI in New Zealand.
Brook, who was made white-ball skipper last year and promoted to vice-captain of the Test team ahead of the Ashes, has avoided being stripped of the leadership and apologised in a statement after the news broke following the final Ashes Test in Sydney.
“I want to apologise for my actions,” Brook’s statement read. “I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.
“Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously and I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters.”
Brook’s incident was one of a number of controversial moments during England 4-1 Ashes defeat, with England having to answer questions around their preparation and an alleged ‘drinking culture’.
That piled pressure on head coach Brendon McCullum, but the New Zealander has been retained to lead England in Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup.
