7 spinners who could replaced injured Shoaib Bashir

Advertisement

It’s been a tough 2025 season for Shoaib Bashir, struggling for wickets, leaking runs and now ruled out for the rest of the Test series against India after sustaining a broken finger from a piercing Ravindra Jadeja drive.

The off-spinner has conceded 541 runs in the current Test series against India, while picking up just 10 wickets at an average of 54.10.

He’s also third in the pecking order at Somerset behind Jack Leach and Archie Vaughan, taking two wickets for 304 runs at an average of 152 in his loan spell at Glamorgan.

However, he took his fiftieth wicket during the May Test match against Zimbabwe with impressive second innings figures of 6/91 and became the youngest ever player to reach 50 wickets for England.

It can’t be argued that Bashir has flourished since his Test debut, but could his injury lead the way for a spin replacement who may offer more with the bat and in the field for England?

We’ve analysed seven spinners who will be on the England selectors’ radar for the two remaining Tests of the India series…

1. Liam Dawson – Hampshire

• Wickets: 21
• Average: 40.04
• Best figures: 5/158
• England Test caps: 3

When you look at the first-class statistics of the Hampshire all-rounder and his left-arm off spin, you can’t help but think he’s deserved more than three England Test caps.

With the ball, he’s averaged 31.23 and taken 365 first-class wickets, while his ability with the bat is an area where England would benefit. 10,505 first-class runs with 17 centuries highlight his quality.

He was the 2024 PCA Player of the year, but at 35 years old, it feels like now or never for Dawson.

2. Rehan Ahmed – Leicestershire

• Wickets: 7
• Average: 22.71
• Best figures: 2/1
• England Test caps: 5

He made his England debut as a leg-spinner and became the youngest ever debutant at 18 years old. Ahmed already has 22 Test wickets to his name and is a genuine all-rounder who’s thriving with the bat with three centuries in Division Two this year.

Ahmed is still only 20 and offers a true versatility and long-term availability that could suit England’s needs – but would they prefer an off-spinner?

3. Jack Leach – Somerset

• Wickets: 32
• Average: 26.50
• Best figures: 6/121
• England Test caps: 39

Like Dawson, Leach deserves to be in the England Test squad, but similarly, age isn’t on his side. The left-arm off-spinner has been in trademark form this year with 32 wickets for Somerset and keeping Shoaib Bashir out of their Division One side.

The 34-year-old has 527 first-class and 142 Test wickets while proving he can add more than Bashir with the bat – think that 92 at Lord’s or his magnificent 1* at Headingley 2019.

4. Jack Carson – Sussex

• Wickets: 16
• Average: 44.75
• Best figures: 5/26
• England Test caps: 0

Despite being born in Northern Ireland, the 24-year-old is eligible for England and now Sussex’s premier spin option with his right-arm off-breaks.

He’s got a first-class century and has taken 164 wickets since his debut for Sussex, where his stock has risen. Carson is available and eligible for both England and Ireland, so it may be in Brendon McCullum’s best interests to play his cards early and avoid disappointment.

5. Liam Patterson-White – Nottinghamshire

• Wickets: 19
• Average: 34.57
• Best figures: 5/179
• England Test caps: 0

If England are keen to mix up their attack with some left-arm bowling, Patterson-White’s off-spin could be an attractive option. The 26-year-old has 126 first-class wickets and is already renowned for his engine and effectiveness in holding an end with long spells.

He’s been involved in numerous England Lions tours and was the leading spin bowler in the 2022 Division Two season. He is a master at Trent Bridge and has put in the groundwork for a call-up.

6. James Coles – Sussex

• Wickets: 11
• Average: 34.63
• Best figures: 5/108
• England Test caps: 0

At just 16, Coles became Sussex’s youngest ever first-class player and has been improving ever since, sharing spin duties with Carson at Sussex with his left-arm spin.

While Carson is Sussex’s premier option, Coles has been bowling more and more overs and has also moved into the top half of the batting order for the Division One side.

He’s the eighth leading run-scorer for Sussex in 2025 with 683 runs at an average of 48.78, including two centuries and three fifties. He’s already scored 2,421 first-class runs in 44 matches with five hundreds and is an exciting all-rounder.

7. Farhan Ahmed – Nottinghamshire

• Wickets: 12
• Average: 43.66
• Best figures: 4/54
• England Test caps: 0

The 17-year-old younger brother of Rehan Ahmed has been making waves in English domestic cricket and is already being touted as a future Test star, having toured with England Lions & U19s and becoming the youngest ever player to take five County Championship wickets last year.

While it’s probably too early for an England Test call-up, Ahmed’s progress will be firmly on the radar of the England selectors with a debut down the line inevitable if he continues to take wickets for Nottinghamshire at the top of the Division One table.

READ MORE: 7 brilliant Zak Crawley replacements England must consider after latest Test flop

 

The post 7 spinners who could replaced injured Shoaib Bashir appeared first on Cricket365.

from Cricket365 https://ift.tt/wAbGDYd

Share This