Attributes, character and “world-class” potential have propelled the 20-year-old Shoaib Bashir into England’s Test squad for India, with Rob Key, the men’s team director, saying county form can “almost be disregarded” when it comes to picking spinners for the toughest assignment in international cricket.
Bashir made his first-class debut at Somerset just six months ago but is the surprise pick among England’s spin quartet for the series that starts in Hyderabad on 25 January. Jack Leach returns from the back stress fracture that scuppered his Ashes summer, the precocious 19-year-old wrist-spinner Rehan Ahmed is recalled, while Lancashire’s Tom Hartley makes it a second uncapped spinner.
This bold, hugely optimistic selection once again says plenty about the depth of spin in domestic cricket at present, even if a seasoned pro such as Liam Dawson – 49 first-class wickets at 20 for Hampshire in 2023 – was overlooked. Dawson has a deal in South Africa’s SA20 that would far outstrip the money offered by playing all five Tests (plus a tour fee) – not that England appear to have asked the 33-year-old the question.
Instead, Key, still chairing selection, believes the high release points of Bashir and Hartley, both 6ft 4in tall, and their faster bowling speeds are more relevant than their modest records given the turning tracks expected in India. This may well be overthinking things but with Moeen Ali returning to Test retirement after the Ashes – Leach was first choice before his injury – England are having to look to the future.
“You almost have to disregard what’s happened in county cricket,” Key said on Monday, announcing the 16-man squad. “Because it’s a very different style of bowling. You’re trying to work out who will be the best players for what we will come up against. This is what we’ve ended up with.”
Asked about Bashir, part of England’s recent training camp in Abu Dhabi, Key said: “We have this [footage] app and every now and again you catch a glimpse of a couple of balls, and you see that there’s something different that looks special. You see the potential, then you try to find out about the character.
“Someone like Bashir – his ceiling is really high. Life is always about how good someone’s good is, not how bad their bad is. He’s very raw, he’s going for experience, albeit we won’t be afraid to play him if required. This is the start of his journey, where we will hopefully see a world-class spinner in the future.”
That journey in fact started for the Chertsey-born Bashir in the Surrey youth set-up, before his release and a spell playing for Berkshire in 2022, plus five wickets in a 2nd XI game against Somerset, led to his current county deal. A brief bamboozlement of Alastair Cook against Essex this year was noteworthy, even if 10 first-class wickets at an average of 67 underlines what is a step into the unknown.
It may be that both Bashir and Hartley, a left-armer already capped in one-day international cricket, begin the tour as understudies, something Key felt would not interest Dawson. Leach covers the left-arm angle, while Ahmed continues to impress in the shorter formats since claiming seven wickets against Pakistan on his Test debut last winter. Joe Root’s off-breaks are likely to make him an all-rounder in the XI, even if India’s expected batting lineup is predominantly right-handed.
Will Jacks, it was felt, bowls too slowly for India and is now free to pursue his deal in the SA20, while Durham’s new signing, left-armer Callum Parkinson, will be in the Lions side that shadows the main squad. Beyond that the lack of alternatives was clear, even if Key believes there is an upside to inexperience. He also fancies Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, captain and head coach respectively, know how to embolden youth, as evidenced by Ahmed in Pakistan.
“Sometimes experience ends up being more baggage,” Key said. “Sometimes you get younger people who have less baggage and they’re less aware of the dangers, a little less aware of the threat, and it can be a good thing.”
Test squad: Ben Stokes (Durham – captain), Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Tom Hartley (Lancashire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
India v England Fixtures
1st Test: 25-29 January, Hyderabad
2nd Test: 2-6 February, Vizag
3rd Test: 15-19 February, Rajkot
4th Test: 23-27 February, Ranchi
5th Test: 7-11 March, Dharamsala
Spin is clearly vital in India, with England the last side to win a Test series in the country in 2012 through the talents of Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann. But balancing the XI will be arguably the trickiest task. Stokes, Key confirmed, is unlikely to bowl after knee surgery – certainly not at the start – and with Ollie Pope back from injury, and Ben Foakes returning as a wicketkeeping option, the top seven looks logjammed.
Stokes will have four seamers at his disposal. Jimmy Anderson starts his 22nd year of Test cricket alongside Ollie Robinson – their exploits with reverse swing in Pakistan relevant – while Mark Wood’s pace has Surrey’s uncapped Gus Atkinson in support. Josh Tongue is injured, while Chris Woakes, player of the series in the Ashes, is heading towards home specialism after being overlooked.
“If we have success then fabulous, if we don’t then I know we will go down in the style that we want to go down,” McCullum said recently, confirming that overall, regardless of how raw their spin options may be, or how strong of India are in home conditions, England’s aggressive approach will not change.
