Deserving of a chance? How might Bashir fare if picked for fifth Test
England have spent almost two years getting off-spinner Shoaib Bashir ready for an Ashes tour of Australia, BBC Sport looks at how he may fare in the fifth Test in Sydney if selected.
Deserving of a chance? How might Bashir fare if picked for fifth Test
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Shoaib Bashir made his England Test debut against India in February 2024
ByTimothy Abraham
BBC Sport journalist
Updated 2 hours ago
A version of this article was published on 24 December 2025.
Shoaib Bashir has become one of the more intriguing subplots of England's car crash of an Ashes tour - present, discussed, but so far untouched.
The off-spinner is an untested theory, an idea, or even a hunch. A high release point, yet to actually bowl a meaningful Ashes delivery.
However, that might be about to change.
After being left out of the first four Tests, the 22-year-old has been named in a 12-man squad for the final game, which starts in Sydney on 4 January (23:30 GMT, 3 January in the UK).
England are set to pick between Bashir and all-rounder Will Jacks, who has offered part-time off-spin since the second Test.
Speaking between the third and fourth Tests, former England spinner Phil Tufnell told the Test Match Special podcast: "They have got themselves into this no-win situation where Bashir's now become sort of unselectable and that's not a good thing.
"If you are ever going to pick a spinner and he is your specialist spinner then he surely had to play at Adelaide [in the third Test] and they didn't play him. You have got to pick him, otherwise why is he here?
"If I was Shoaib Bashir, I would have been absolutely fuming."
Poor figures, positive body language
Bashir has played some cricket on the tour, having returned to action following a broken finger on his left hand during the English summer.
He featured in a much-derided intra-squad affair at Lilac Hill in Perth before the series started, bowling for both England and the Lions side.
He finished with a largely underwhelming 2-151.
That was followed by another outing for the Lions against Australia A at Allan Border Field in Brisbane where he ended with figures of 0-115.
They are unflattering returns, but Bashir's stoicism has ensured he has not been overly affected by the noise surrounding his non-selection.
His body language around the England camp is said to have remained positive.
One of the reasons he is so liked by England's management is his calm persona. Even though he has been whacked by batters in the nets during this tour he looks to have philosophically taken it in his stride.