Shoaib Bashir

Aged 20 and with 10 first-class wickets to his name, Shoaib Bashir was a shock inclusion in England's Test squad to tour India in early 2024.

His arrival on the tour was delayed by visa issues, but he soon made his mark, claiming 18 wickets in three Tests including five-wicket hauls at Ranchi and Dharamsala. Though still a work in progress, his ability to hit the pitch hard from a tall release point allowed him to leapfrog his Somerset team-mate Jack Leach as England's first-choice spinner, and he made it three five-fors in five Tests with a matchwinning display against West Indies at Trent Bridge. He showed his mettle the following summer against India, bowling England to victory in a thrilling Lord's Test despite suffering a badly broken finger earlier in the same match.

Bashir's progress within the England squad came in spite of his limited county opportunities. He played age-group cricket for Surrey but was released at 17. He then played for Middlesex and Berkshire, and though his breakthrough to the professional game came after impressing for Somerset's second XI, he was unable to displace Leach as the county's first-choice spinner. The subsequent emergence of Archie Vaughan as a spinning allrounder left him surplus to Somerset's requirements, and he kept up his appearances with loan spells at Worcestershire and Glamorgan.

Bashir had signed for Somerset ahead of the 2023 season on a one-year contract after a successful trial, and made 18 appearances across formats in his first full summer. He played a walk-on role as Somerset won that season's T20 Blast, and took six wickets in a high-scoring Championship draw against Hampshire. He quickly signed a two-year contract extension, and impressed on England Lions' tour to the United Arab Emirates in late 2023.
ESPNcricinfo staff