The surprise inclusion of Somerset’s emerging off-spinner, Shoaib Bashir, in England’s Test squad for their upcoming tour of India has raised eyebrows.
Bashir, a 20-year-old with only 10 first-class wickets at an average of 67 in six matches, joins the ranks of uncapped players, alongside Lancashire’s left-arm spinner Tom Hartley and Surrey’s fast bowler Gus Atkinson, forming a 16-member squad for the five-Test series.
The return of wicketkeeper-batsmen Ben Foakes and vice-captain Ollie Pope, along with the comeback of the main spinner Jack Leach from injury, adds experience to the squad. Despite ongoing concerns about his left knee, all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named as the captain.
The spin department features a diverse arsenal, with Bashir and Hartley joining forces with Leach and Rehan Ahmed. The inclusion of tall spinners in Bashir and Hartley suggests England’s attempt to replicate the strategic use of tall spinner Axar Patel, who troubled them during the 2021 tour of India.
Who is Shoaib Bashir?
Aged 20 and with 10 first-class wickets to his name, Shoaib Bashir signed for Somerset ahead of the 2023 season on a one-year contract after a successful trial, and made 18 appearances across formats in his first full summer.
A tall offspinner and lower-order batter, Bashir played age-group cricket for Surrey but was released at 17. He then played for Middlesex and Berkshire but his breakthrough to the professional game came after impressing for Somerset’s second XI.
He played a walk-on role as they won the T20 Blast, and took six wickets in a high-scoring Championship draw against Hampshire. He quickly signed a two-year contract extension, and impressed on England Lions’ tour to the United Arab Emirates in late 2023.
England in India
1st Test: January 25–29, Hyderabad
2nd Test: February 2–6, Visakhapatnam
3rd Test: February 15–19, Rajkot
4th Test: February 23-27, Ranchi
5th Test: March 7–11, Dharamsala
