As the sunset engulfed Seddon Park, New Zealand said goodbye to Tim Southee, arguably their greatest-ever bowler. It was a fitting yet anti-climactic end, as the Kiwis won the final game but lost the series 2-1.
Bright Sparks for England
Harry Brook continued his love affair with New Zealand’s bowling attack, Jacob Bethell displayed enough potential to make many believe he is England’s new number three, and the fast-bowling attack continued their impressive form from the Pakistan series and the previous English summer.
However, a contentious area in the bowling attack is that of England’s frontline spinner.
Since cricket began, the position of English cricket’s test spinner has long been debated, modified, discarded, and altered.
Shoaib Bashir: A Bold Selection
Shoaib Bashir has been given the torch primarily within the last 12 months. There were always question marks over the young spinner who had made only six first-class appearances before receiving cap number 713 against India in Visakhapatnam.
Defying the critics, the inexperienced Bashir made an encouraging start to his England career.
He was arguably England’s most threatening spinner in India. He finished the series with a respectable 33.35 average and took 17 wickets, including his maiden and second five-wicket hauls in his career.
As ‘rag turners’ changed into ‘green tops,’ Bashir was expected to demonstrate his ability as a finger spinner in England, where the task is famously more challenging, especially given his freshness to the game.
However, against the West Indies, his ability to use his height and subtle variations led to nine wickets in four innings at an average of 27.22. He became the youngest English spinner to take a five-wicket haul at home with 5-41 at Trent Bridge. A ground he will face Zimbabwe on to kick-start England’s test summer.
A Spot Cemented, But for How Long?
These impressive performances from such a young spinner meant the 19-year-old had cemented his place in the England test side, seemingly with the full backing of Ben Stokes, who was not afraid to bring the Somerset bowler into the attack early.
A modest home series was followed against Sri Lanka by Bashir, who averaged over 49 from six innings. A challenging series in Pakistan preceded this, as he could not match the ability of the opposing spinners.
This then stagnated into arguably his worst series as an England player in New Zealand, as his average jumped over 50 (51.75) runs per over, going at nearly five (4.76) runs per over.
A Career at the Crossroads?
A promising start to his test career with 26 wickets at a 31.23 average inside six matches indicated a masterstroke by McCullum and Stokes in potentially securing England’s first long-term spinner since Graeme Swann.
But after challenging tours home and away, his place on the side is in question, with 49 wickets at a 40.16 average inside 15 matches.
It is not that Bashir cannot recover his early form, but the pressure is on for someone who was picked with so little experience, especially when finger spinning is an art that can take years to develop.
Concerns around the Glamorgan loanee’s limited first-class experience factor into this.
Alternatives, but No Clear Replacement
The decision to make Bashir the number one spinner for England was made above others such as the experienced Jack Leach, Tom Hartley—England’s leading wicket-taker against India—Hampshire’s Liam Dawson, or Rehan Ahmed, who has also found success on overseas tours.
It would be hard to make a case that any of the above players must be picked over Bashir, as England’s spin options are few and far between. But questions must be asked about a spinner averaging over 40 who has yet to find discipline in his game, with an economy rate of 3.75.
Backed to the Hilt
However, in the eyes of the ECB, Bashir is a cricketer with massive potential who, given his height and variations, could be a multi-threat spinner if harnessed.
This is clearly shown as predecessors to Ben Stokes were unwilling to involve spinners unless a pitch was turning or all seam options were exhausted.
However, as we’ve seen under McCullum and Stokes, they will back them to the hilt when they believe in a player’s ability.
The Road Ahead
So they’ll keep throwing Bashir the ball early, and they will invest in him more, but with a testing summer and winter ahead, time will tell whether that faith is well placed.