SHOAIB BASHIR will cap his remarkable rise with an international debut tomorrow, after England this morning named the rookie spinner in their side for the Second Test in Vizag.
Bashir made his first-class debut for Somerset only in June and his selection as part of England's 16-man squad for the tour of India was greeted with huge surprise when it was announced late last year.
However, Jack Leach's knee problem has seen the 20-year-old drafted into the XI for tomorrow's Second Test as one of two changes from the dramatic triumph in Hyderabad, with James Anderson recalled as the sole seamer in place of Mark Wood.
Leach returned from seven months on the sidelines with a stress fracture to start the series, but injured his knee while fielding on the first day and has not recovered in time to keep his place, paving the way for Somerset team-mate Bashir (right) to make his bow.
"Bash coming in for Leachy was a simple one: one spinner out, one spinner in," captain Ben Stokes said.
"Baz [Brendon McCullum] told him.
This story is from the February 01, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the February 01, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
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