Shoaib Bashir is shock name in England's Test squad for India tour

The “world-class” potential of rookie Somerset off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has seen him called up for England’s Test tour of India in the new year.

Bashir, 20, has just 10 first-class wickets at an average of 67 in his six-match career, but is one of three uncapped players in the squad, alongside Lancashire left-arm spinner Tom Hartley and Surrey quick Gus Atkinson in the squad of 16 for the five-Test tour.

Ben Foakes has been recalled to the squad but, according to managing director Rob Key, no decision has yet been made over whether the Surrey man or Jonny Bairstow will keep wicket. Vice-captain Ollie Pope and first-choice spinner Jack Leach return from long-term injuries.

Ben Stokes is selected to lead the squad and is expected to be fit after undergoing surgery on his chronic left knee injury recently. Key confirmed that Stokes was not expected to bowl in India.

Bashir and Hartley join Leach and Rehan Ahmed in a four-strong spin arsenal, while Joe Root will offer a part-time option. Bashir and Hartley, who is 24 and has played two ODIs, are both tall spinners, which perhaps reflects England’s desire to copy the new-ball spin Axar Patel used against them on their last visit to India in 2021. However, it is a tall ask for two modest records (Hartley’s first-class average is 36.6, but he is a handy batsman at No 8). Both men were on the England Lions training camp in the UAE this month.

‘Bashir’s ceiling is really high’

Of Bashir, Key said: “I saw him last summer. We have this depth app and every now and again you catch a glimpse of a couple of balls, and you see that there’s something different there, or that looks special. We saw him in county cricket, the way he bowled the ball, and then you see the potential, then you try to find out about his character. Then we had him on the Lions. Myself and Brendon [McCullum] flew out to that Lions camp for a week and a bit, and we tried to put them in conditions that are similar to what we will see.

“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 as much as anything else, 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.

“He’s got one of the higher release points in the game, he just looks like – everything that you see in a classical off-spinner, a bit of real craft, a bit of real guile and a decent character as well.

“He’s someone who spins the ball, high release point. When we watched him in the UAE he already at a young age he can bowl slower with a quick arm, he’s got good craft and I think it’s really exciting. And you’re trying to do things differently to what we’ve done before. I think we’ve probably had one world-class spinner since uncovered pitches and that’s probably Graeme Swann.

“That’s probably what we’re trying to do with the Lions a little bit, you’re trying to give these guys other experience and that’s what playing in England can’t do for whatever reasons, conditions all of that, so we’re hoping that we’re putting him on a road to someone who can end up being world class, he certainly has the potential.”

‘Hartley will be a handful out there’

Bashir and Hartley are selected instead of the experienced Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson and Surrey’s all-formatter Will Jacks, who instead will both be playing in South Africa’s SA20 short-form competition. Liam Livingstone is also not selected, having made his Test debut as an all-rounder a year ago, while Moeen Ali re-retired at the end of the Ashes.

Key confirmed that neither Jacks or Dawson made themselves unavailable for the series, but said the style of bowling and a desire for both to being playing cricket not carrying drinks contributed.

“Will Jacks – you’re making a decision, is it better for them to be going around carrying drinks throughout India or can they go and play franchise cricket when we’ve got a World T20 coming up?” said Key.

“Liam Dawson is probably not someone who wants to go around India as the 15th or 16th man – if he’s going to play and if he’s going to feature then he’s going to want to do that, but if he’s not I don’t think it’s high on his agenda to be going as essentially a replacement bowler.

“We also think for the style of bowling someone like Hartley – our bet is that he’ll be a real handful out there and then you’ve obviously got Jack Leach who will lead the attack with the ball.

“For a while we have been trying to earmark the spinners we think that will be most useful in India. Someone like Tom Hartley for instance. We’ve been looking at him for a while, he’s been on the Lions for a couple of years. It’s not conditions that actually you come across in England at all.

“You almost have to disregard what’s happened in county cricket, because it’s a very different style of bowling, and trying to work out who will be the best players for what we will come up against.”

There are four seamers in the squad, with James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Atkinson – who has made both debuts in both white-ball formats this year – all selected. Josh Tongue was ruled out with a pectoral injury. There will also be an England Lions tour in January, which could see players such as Brydon Carse force their way into Test contention.

Chris Woakes is not selected despite being England’s Ashes man of the series, with his poor overseas record counting against him. Instead, he will play T20 in the UAE at the ILT20.

I know what it’s like making a debut as a spinner in India

Shoaib Bashir is a thrilling prospect and the England selectors deserve credit for recognising his talent so early.

With just six first-class matches under his belt, Bashir could well end up being the most ‘Bazball’ selection yet. He is tall for a spin bowler, like I was, which will help him generate more bounce from a fuller length than others would. Bashir also gets good loop on the ball, which means he can get it up above the batsman’s eyeline and back down again in time for it to land and turn while drawing them onto the front foot.

With a 16-man squad, there is every chance the 20-year-old will play at some point in the series and he must not get downhearted if the aggressive Indian batsmen get after him. They will look to target him down the ground in particular, but there is no shame in conceding a six or two, especially against masterful players of spin like Virat Kohli.

Bashir’s off-spin could well be partnered with his Somerset team-mate Jack Leach, which would give Ben Stokes the option of a frontline spinner turning it both ways. The pitches throughout the series will suit Bashir, even if he is not deployed in the opener in Hyderabad.

The atmosphere that will greet him is a far cry from what he will be used to in Taunton. Bashir will immediately be loved by Indian fans who will want selfies and autographs from him.

I know how he will feel. I made my Test debut in Nagpur in 2006 when Andrew Flintoff selected me. It was for the first Test in the series and I wrote the field settings I wanted on a piece of paper and gave it to Flintoff as I was worried about the crowd noise that I would face and I did not want to appear flustered.

If he does play at some stage during the series, it would be good preparation for him to make some notes about the Indian batsmen as it will help him to stick to a plan and not become overawed.

On my debut I managed to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar as my first wicket. Perhaps Bashir could replicate that calibre of wicket by getting Kohli or Rohit Sharma?

Bashir has the talent and is instinctively a brave bowler. If he can stick to his guns then you never know, a new icon of English cricket could be born.