Shoaib Bashir set to leave Somerset when contract expires

England spinner Shoaib Bashir looks set to leave Somerset at the end of the summer in a bid to play more regular first-team cricket outside of his international commitments.

Bashir has become England's first-choice spinner in the last 18 months, playing each of their last 15 Tests, and was player of the match in their recent win over Zimbabwe. But he has struggled for gametime at Somerset, who have preferred the left-arm spin of Jack Leach and the all-round ability of Archie Vaughan in their County Championship side.

Last year, Bashir played four Championship matches and a single 50-over match for Somerset and went out on loan to Worcestershire ahead of the Test summer. This season, he made a similar short-term move to Glamorgan, where he took two expensive wickets in three Championship fixtures, and he has not been involved in Somerset's T20 Blast plans.

Bashir signed a two-year extension with Somerset in 2023 and ESPNcricinfo has learned that there have been no discussions around a new deal. Bashir has praised Leach's impact on him as a mentor at Somerset but conceded last week that his situation is "unique", saying: "It's hard to fit two of us [in the side], at the start of the year especially."

Sunday marked the opening of county cricket's effective transfer window, with players in the final year of their current contracts now free to talk to other clubs ahead of next year. While no approach has yet been made, Surrey - where Bashir played his age-group cricket - could be a potential suitor, as could Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

Bashir is centrally contracted by the ECB and if his deal is extended as expected, then a prospective new county would not immediately pay him a salary. He would instead sign a 'shadow' contract, outlining terms of payment in the event that he loses his central contract, a standard mechanism for England players.

Graeme Swann, whose own career took off after he left Northamptonshire for Nottinghamshire, has previously encouraged Bashir to leave Somerset to accelerate his development as a bowler.

Swann, who has coached Bashir in the England Lions set-up, told talkSPORT last year: "Long-term, if the ECB can just say, 'Look, this is bonkers. He's the best spinner in England. If you're not going to play him, then you have to let him go and play for someone else.'"

Meanwhile, Surrey have lined up Adam Zampa as a potential replacement signing in the T20 Blast. Zampa has previously played for Oval Invincibles in the Hundred - though will not return this year due to Australia commitments - and could act as cover for Mitchell Santner when he captains New Zealand in a T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe in July.

Elsewhere, Todd Murphy has lined up a short-term stint in the County Championship. Murphy, who has played seven Tests for Australia but has slipped behind Matthew Kuhnemann as Nathan Lyon's understudy, was a late withdrawal from Australia A's squad to tour Sri Lanka and will play four matches for an undisclosed county in June and July.