England Selects Shoaib Bashir Over Jack Leach for West Indies Test Series
England’s managing director Rob Key has announced that Shoaib Bashir will be the lead spinner for the upcoming Test series against West Indies, ahead of Jack Leach. Despite not being the first-choice option, Bashir’s impressive performance during his debut series in India, where he took two five-wicket hauls, has earned him this spot.
England has named a strong 14-member squad for the first two Tests, led by Ben Stokes. The squad includes:
| Player |
|---|
| Ben Stokes (c) |
| James Anderson |
| Gus Atkinson |
| Shoaib Bashir |
| Harry Brook |
| Zak Crawley |
| Ben Duckett |
| Dan Lawrence |
| Dillon Pennington |
| Ollie Pope |
| Matthew Potts |
| Joe Root |
| Jamie Smith |
| Chris Woakes |
The first Test will be held from July 10 to 14 at Lord’s Cricket Ground, and the second will take place on July 18 at Trent Bridge. This series marks the second edition of the Richards-Botham Trophy, with West Indies winning the inaugural edition in 2022.
Rob Key praised Bashir’s character and potential, stating, “I love watching what he did in India. That was a tough task for someone to come in and do what he did. And when you watch him bowl, you just think he’s got everything, really, as a spinner. And he will get better. He’s right at the beginning of his career now, so we’re backing him to grow as time goes on.”
Key also mentioned that Jack Leach remains a valuable player for future series, especially in conditions that require a second spinner.
