We won’t get carried away, says Rashid

England are now chasing history at this World Cup but, on home soil, Adil Rashid knows it is vital that they do not get carried away with the occasion.

England have never before won the World Cup and are now in the semifinals for the first time in 27 years.

Next week they will take on Australia or India at Edgbaston with a place in the final on the line.

But Rashid – who played all nine group games for England and took eight wickets – insists his side will be taking it all in their stride.

“It’s the same feeling,” he said.  “Yes, we know it’s a semi-final of a World Cup but we will definitely take it as another game.

“We’ll go out there, try our best, have a positive mindset, play a positive brand of cricket with bat and ball and see what happens. We won’t be taking any pressure on, we’ll go out there, enjoy our cricket and hopefully everything else will look after itself.”

Rashid has been troubled this summer by a shoulder injury that limited his involvement in the warm-ups. But his importance to this side is emphasised by the fact that Trevor Bayliss has yet to rotate him out of the first XI.

And the legspinner insists he is firing on all cylinders for the end of the tournament.

“I had the niggle a month ago. Just before the World Cup I had an injection and had a shoulder problem. It’s all good for now. I’m 100 per cent,” he added.

“I’m trying to (bowl all variations), sometimes it can be a bit difficult. That’s not an excuse for not bowling it much. At times it can be a bit difficult but that’s one of my strengths, my variations. For me it’s just getting back to bowling my variations.

“There’s been some games where I felt as though I’ve been a bit unlucky, there’s been a few dropped catches and missed stumpings and whatever. If you take all that in things could be completely different, you could easily be on 15 or 16 wickets.

“It is what it is, dropped catches and missed chances are part and parcel of cricket. But we’re winning, we’ve got through to the semis so we’re in a good place.”

Rashid might not have claimed as many wickets as he would have liked so far.

But he has found other ways to help the team, including a fine run-out of Ross Taylor in Durham on Wednesday.

Fielding has improved across the board for England in their rise to the top of the world rankings, and Rashid as one of the less natural athletes in the field epitomises that development.

He added: “It was nice to get that one-handed pick-up and throw over the stumps. It was a nice feeling, a big wicket as well, Ross Taylor was going along nicely. We work hard on our fielding, all of us work hard on all aspects so credit to them.

“As a team we’re always looking to improve. if we’re good we’re looking to be better. That goes for everybody, for myself as well, I’m always looking to improve.

“You might have the days where you might not feel as good or whatever but if you’re putting the hard work in the field practice then things will go well.”