Somerset off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has won his first senior England Men’s call-up, following an impressive debut season with the West Country side.
Bashir will be on the plane to India in January as one of the spin options for Ben Stokes’ side, with England’s coaching team and support staff looking to get the promising bowler experience in spin-friendly conditions.
Having played in the Surrey youth setup from the age of nine to 17, Bashir lined up for Berkshire U18s before joining Somerset. He made his First Class debut at the age of 19 this June, facing a baptism of fire against Sir Alastair Cook at Chelmsford.
And whilst wicketless on his first day of bowling, his control and temperament impressed onlookers, including the England scouts. Subsequent performances across red- and white-ball cricket earned the youngster a call-up to England Lions’ recent training camp in the UAE
Bashir took 10 wickets in the County Championship last season, though the trouble he caused experienced batters has outweighed the impact he had in the wicket column.
"It's been a mad, mad journey," Bashir told The Cricketer during his debut match against Essex. "I've always dreamed about being a professional cricketer. It means the world. I'm going to keep working hard, keep grinding and hopefully maintain this level. There is still a lot to work on.”
Bashir joins Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley as the front-line spin options on the tour. England Men will play India in five Tests, starting on 25 January in Hyderabad.
England Men’s squad for tour of India
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)
England Men's Tests in India 2024
1st Test: India v England, 25-29 January, Hyderabad
2nd Test: India v England, 2-6 February, Vizag
3rd Test: India v England, 15-19 February, Rajkot
4th Test: India v England, 23-27 February, Ranchi
5th Test: India v England, 7-11 March, Dharamsala