Shoaib Bashir is a towering young off-spinner who has made a remarkable rise from county cricket obscurity to becoming England’s first-choice spinner in Test cricket. The 22-year-old from Chertsey, Surrey, was a shock inclusion in England’s Test squad for the 2024 tour of India with just 10 first-class wickets to his name. His arrival 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. Standing tall with a high release point, Bashir’s ability to hit the pitch hard and extract bounce allowed him to leapfrog his Somerset teammate Jack Leach in the pecking order. He made it three five-fors in five Tests with a match-winning display against West Indies at Trent Bridge and showed immense character the following summer against India, bowling England to victory at Lord’s despite suffering a badly broken finger earlier in the same match. Released by Surrey at 17 and having played for Middlesex and Berkshire, Bashir’s journey to the top is a testament to his resilience and raw talent.
| Bowling | |||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 19 | 33 | 4199 | 2652 | 68 | 6/81 | 9/143 | 39.00 | 3.78 | 61.7 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| FC | 41 | 67 | 8223 | 4918 | 102 | 6/81 | 9/143 | 48.21 | 3.58 | 80.6 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| List A | 8 | 8 | 319 | 344 | 3 | 1/46 | 1/46 | 114.66 | 6.47 | 106.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20s | 7 | 6 | 102 | 146 | 6 | 3/26 | 3/26 | 24.33 | 8.58 | 17.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Batting & Fielding | |||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct |
| Tests | 19 | 28 | 15 | 92 | 13 | 7.07 | 244 | 37.70 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 5 |
| FC | 41 | 61 | 28 | 282 | 44* | 8.54 | 764 | 36.91 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 4 | 15 |
| List A | 8 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 5.00 | 23 | 43.47 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| T20s | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0* | - | 1 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
He is a right-arm off-break bowler known for his tall release point and ability to hit the pitch hard, extracting bounce from any surface.
He made his Test debut during England's 2024 tour of India, despite having only 10 first-class wickets to his name at the time of his selection.
He has taken five-wicket hauls at Ranchi and Dharamsala in India, and a match-winning display against West Indies at Trent Bridge. He also bowled England to victory against India at Lord's despite playing with a broken finger.
He has represented Somerset, Worcestershire, and Glamorgan in county cricket, and has also played age-group cricket for Surrey, Middlesex, and Berkshire.
He was born on October 13, 2003, in Chertsey, Surrey, making him 22 years old.
He was released by Surrey at 17, played for Middlesex and Berkshire, and initially struggled to break into Somerset's first team behind Jack Leach before impressing for the second XI.
His tall frame and high release point allow him to hit the pitch hard and extract bounce, making him particularly effective on pitches that offer turn and grip.
Yes, he impressed on England Lions' tour to the United Arab Emirates in late 2023 before his elevation to the senior squad.
He played a walk-on role as Somerset won the T20 Blast in 2023, showcasing his versatility across formats.
He attended Fulbrook School and Woking College before pursuing his cricketing career.
