Shoaib Bashir joins Derbyshire after struggling to break through at Somerset
England's out-of-favour spinner heads for new county after struggling to secure game-time at Taunton
ESPNcricinfo staff
15-Jan-2026 • 2 hrs ago
Shoaib Bashir is leaving Somerset for Derbyshire • Getty Images
Shoaib Bashir, the England spinner, has agreed to join Derbyshire for the 2026 season, after struggling to hold down a regular place at his home county of Somerset, despite having been a regular member of the Test set-up for the past two years.
Bashir, 22, was an unused squad member during the recent Ashes tour of Australia, with England preferring the batting allrounder Will Jacks in four of the five Tests of their 4-1 series defeat.
Prior to that, he had taken 68 wickets in 19 Tests since making his debut in India in February 2024, including four five-wicket hauls and a best of 6 for 81 against Zimbabwe last summer.
He also claimed the decisive wicket in England's 22-run win over India at Lord's in July, bowling Mohammad Siraj despite having broken his hand earlier in the match. He did not feature again in a competitive fixture until a wicketless display for England Lions against Australia A in Brisbane in December.
Domestically, Bashir has had a nomadic existence since he was first identified as a potential international spinner in the 2023 summer. He had claimed just 10 wickets at 67 in six appearances for Somerset, where Jack Leach remained the first-choice option, and where Archie Vaughan has since emerged as a promising spinning allrounder.
He has since featured for Worcestershire and Glamorgan on loan spells, but claimed just two wickets at 152 in the latter stint in April 2025.
He leaves Somerset with a record of 21 wickets in 23 matches across formats, including 14 at 74.78 in ten County Championship appearances, and will now work alongside Mickey Arthur, the former South Africa and Pakistan coach, in a bid to revive his fortunes.
"Derbyshire have a really exciting project going on and working with Mickey Arthur, one of the best coaches in the world, is a great opportunity for any young player," Bashir said.
"I'm keen to play more red-ball cricket, continue my development in the white-ball formats, and challenge for promotion with Derbyshire," Bashir said. "This is an exciting move for me and I can't wait to meet the group."
Arthur added: "I'm pleased we've been able to bring Shoaib into our squad, he's a current international with immense potential and we've worked hard to make this deal happen.
"We needed to add another spinner to our ranks, after the departure of Alex Thomson, and now we have a really exciting crop of young spinners, in Shoaib, Jack Morley and Joe Hawkins, who can all continue their development within our ranks.
"Our recruitment is all about bringing in quality players who can build on the solid foundations we laid in 2025. To be able to bring in a current England international is really exciting. He will bring great energy and experience into our dressing room, despite having so much time to still improve his game."
Andy Hurry, Somerset's Director of Cricket, said: "Although he was offered a contract extension, Shoaib has decided that his future lies away from the Cooper Associates County Ground. We respect his decision, and everyone associated with Somerset wishes him well for the future.
"It's been a pleasure to see him develop into an international cricketer during his time with the club and he will always receive a warm welcome when he returns to Taunton."