Shoaib Bashir

Shoaib Bashir (born 13 October 2003) is a cricketer who plays for Somerset and England. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler. He made his first-class debut for Somerset against Essex on 11 June 2023. He made his T20 Blast debut for Somerset against Hampshire on 7 June 2023.^[1] He made his international test debut against India on 2 February 2024.

Shoaib Bashir

Shoiab Bashir, September, 2022
Personal information
Born	(2003-10-13) 13 October 2003 (age 20) Chertsey, Surrey, England
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	England (2024-present)
Test debut (cap 713)	2 February 2024 v India
Last Test	7 March 2024 v India
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2023–present	Somerset (squad no. 13)
Career statistics
Competition Test FC LA T20 Matches 3 9 7 5 Runs scored 33 104 10 – Batting average 11.00 13.00 5.00 – 100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/0 –/– Top score 13 44* 7 – Balls bowled 1,015 2,233 277 66 Wickets 17 27 3 4 Bowling average 33.35 45.81 99.66 23.50 5 wickets in innings 2 2 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 5/119 5/119 1/46 3/26 Catches/stumpings 1/– 3/– 6/– 1/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 11 March 2024

Early life

From Woking, Surrey, Bashir attended Fullbrook School and Woking College.^[2] His uncle (Saj) was a wicket-keeper batsman for Guildford City Cricket Club and encouraged Bashir with his cricket career.^[3]

Career

Prior to signing with Somerset in 2022, Bashir played club cricket for Guildford, age-group cricket with Surrey and Middlesex, and Minor Counties cricket for Berkshire. He spent the winter of 2022-2023 playing club cricket in Australia for the Lindfield District Cricket Club.^[4]

Somerset

In October 2022, Bashir was given a contract for the 2023 season by Somerset after impressing in Somerset Second-XI fixtures in which he took nine wickets at an average of just 14.11 with a best of 5 for 44 against Warwickshire Second XI.^[5][6]

He played warm-up games in red ball cricket prior to the start of the County Championship in April 2023, whilst continuing to play Second-XI matches for the county in the start of the 2023 season.^[7][8]

On 7 June 2023, he made his T20 Blast debut for Somerset against Hampshire.^[9] On 9 June 2023, he took his first wickets as Somerset beat Gloucestershire in the T20 Blast with Bashir claiming 3-26.^[10]

On 10 June 2023, Somerset announced that Bashir had signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the county until the end of the 2025 season.^[11] He made his first-class debut for Somerset against Essex on 11 June 2023.^[12][13]

On 15 July 2023, he featured on finals day as Somerset beat Surrey and Essex to win the T20 Blast at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.^[14]

International career

In October 2023, he was called up to the England Lions cricket team for the first time.^[15] In his first competitive match for the England Lions, against Afghanistan B, he took six wickets for 42 runs in 15 overs across both innings.^[16]

His talent was spotted by England captain Ben Stokes through social media, as one of the videos of Bashir bowling to former England opener Alastair Cook became talk of the town and went viral on social media.^[17] It was Somerset Cricket who had uploaded a small video clip of Bashir's first over, who was playing his first-class debut match, where he was seen bowling to Cook, and Somerset Cricket had shared the video on their official Twitter account, which apparently caught the attention of Ben Stokes, who was very active on Twitter. It was Bashir's first-class debut playing against Essex and he bowled two deliveries in his opening over to Alastair Cook which went onto impress Stokes.^[18] Stokes then forwarded the video of Bashir's bowling to a WhatsApp group in which England head coach Brendon McCullum and ECB managing director Rob Key were also part of it.^[19] Stokes literally convinced England selectors and roped in Bashir for their five match test series in India which was scheduled to commence in January 2024. The decision to select him as one of the frontline spinners for the tour raised eyebrows of many as it ended up as a surprising choice given Bashir only played six first class matches at that time when he received the callup.^[20]

On 11 December 2023, Bashir received his maiden call up to the senior England side, being included in the 16-man squad for the test tour of India. However, he faced challenges with regards to visa issues and his entry was initially delayed by Indian authorities mainly due to his Pakistani heritage background.^[21][22] All members of the England squad flew to India from Abu Dhabi except for Shoaib Bashir. Bashir had returned home from Abu Dhabi in order to resolve a visa delay that prevented him from travelling to India with the rest of the squad.^[23][24][25] He went back to London to complete the visa related formalities.^[26] The Prime Minister of Britain, Rishi Sunak, was also involved in sorting things out for Shoaib Bashir in order tom make him safely land in India amid visa concerns.^[27] The visa delay of Bashir apparently became a talking point in the UK parliament and it sparked outrage in British media.^[28] The UK PM's Office insisted that it expected India to treat British citizens fairly after expressing its disappointment over not granting a visa to Bashir.^[29] A source in India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that Bashir had been granted a visa on his return to the United Kingdom.^[30] It was also later revealed that the reason his application got cleared much later than the other members of the England team was his Pakistani origin.^[28][31]

On 1 February 2024, Bashir was included in the England team for his test debut in the second test match of the five match series against India in Visakhapatnam.^[32][33][34] On 25 February 2024, he claimed his maiden test 5-for, finishing the innings with 5/119 in only in his second test match appearance and it was also his maiden five-wicket haul in his first-class career.^[35][36] He also became the second youngest ever overseas spinner to claim a five-wicket haul in Indian soil behind South Africa's Paul Adams.^[37]

On 9 March 2024, Bashir became the first English bowler to take two five-wicket hauls before the age of 21. He achieved the landmark during the 1st innings of the 5th test against India at Dharamshala.

Personal life

Bashir has Pakistani heritage and is a Muslim.^[38][39] He is relatively tall for an off-spinner at 6 ft 4 in (193 cm).^[40] Despite his height, he never tried seam bowling.^[39] He has a traditional run-up and action as far as an off-spinner is considered. Instead of easing his way to the crease, he often hurries into his stride, but his tall frame allows him to deliver the ball from a good height.

References

1. "Shoaib Bashir". somersetcountycc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
2. "Shoaib Bashir". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
3. Hashim, Taha (14 December 2023). "Shoaib Bashir: 'I couldn't believe Flintoff was in front of me, calling me by my nickname'". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
4. Wiseman, Lewis (8 October 2022). "Somerset sign young off-spin talent Shoaib Bashir". somersetcountygazette.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
5. Tripathi, Vaibhav (7 October 2022). "Shoain Bashir signs professional contract with Somerset". cricket.one. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
6. Howson, Nick (7 October 2022). "Somerset reward Shoaib Bashir with 2023 contract after second XI stint". The Cricketer. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
7. Walsh, Richard (6 April 2023). "Shoaib Bashir is excited for the season ahead with Somerset CCC". somersetcountygazette.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
8. Wiseman, Lewis (3 May 2023). "Bartlett and Bashir put in solid performance for Somerset 2nd XI". somersetcountygazette.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
9. "Hampshire Vs Somerset". ESPNcricinfo. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
10. "Will Smeed blasts Somerset past rivals with rapid-fire 94". ESPNCricinfo. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
11. "Somerset bowler Shoaib Bashir extends contract until end of 2025". BBC Sport. 10 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
12. "County Championship: Essex batters dominate against Somerset on day one". BBC Sport. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
13. "Shoaib Bashir puts Sir Alastair Cook's latest milestone in the shade". The Cricketer. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
14. "T20 Blast: Somerset reach record sixth final as they defend low total to beat Surrey". BBC Sport. 15 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
15. "Josh de Caires called up to England Lions squad for first time". BBC.co.uk. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
16. Atherton, Michael (11 December 2023). "England put height and potential before experience in spin gamble". The Times. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
17. "Bashir has 'very natural attributes' - Cook". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
18. "Ben Stokes reveals how he was impressed by Shoaib Bashir's 'viral' spell vs Alastair Cook: Saw him on Twitter". India Today. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
19. "Shoaib Bashir: Two balls to Alastair Cook and a WhatsApp forward from Ben Stokes earned him Test debut vs India". Hindustan Times. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
20. "Why emergence of Hartley & Bashir creates a happy problem". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
21. Paramesha, Dheeraj (30 January 2024). "India: visa problems for English cricketer reflect a longstanding security rift with neighbouring Pakistan". The Conversation. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
22. "Cricketer Shoaib Bashir's Visa Problems Are Problems of Hindutva Politics". The Wire. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
23. "Bashir returns to UK to resolve visa issues". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
24. "England's Shoaib Bashir flies back home to sort India visa issues as Ben Stokes left 'frustrated' ahead of 1st Test". Hindustan Times. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
25. "Ben Stokes 'frustrated' as Shoaib Bashir returns to UK to resolve visa delay". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
26. Martin, Ali; Stacey, Kiran (23 January 2024). "Shoaib Bashir flies back to England and ruled out of first Test by India visa delay". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
27. "England cricketer's visa issues for India tour prompt British government to call for fair treatment". AP News. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
28. "IND vs ENG: England cricketer Shoaib Bashir granted visa, say MEA sources". The Indian Express. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
29. "Shoaib Bashir visa row: UK PM Rishi Sunak's Office says 'expect India to treat British citizens fairly'". India Today. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
30. "England spinner Bashir granted visa for India". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
31. "Shoaib Bashir receives India visa, will join Test squad over weekend". ESPNcricinfo. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
32. "India v England: Shoaib Bashir and James Anderson named in squad for second Test". BBC Sport. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
33. "Shoaib Bashir links up with England in India after visa granted for Test series". Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
34. Martin, Ali (2 February 2024). "Shoaib Bashir enjoys 'special day' on debut after putting visa turmoil in past". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
35. "'All not lost for England - Bashir looks the real deal'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
36. "Brilliant Bashir puts England on top in Ranchi". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
37. Sportstar, Team (25 February 2024). "IND vs ENG: Shoaib Bashir becomes second youngest overseas bowler to pick five wickets in India". Sportstar. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
38. Wilde, Simon (22 January 2024). "Pakistan's Shoaib Bashir stuck in Abu Dhabi awaiting India visa". The Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
39. Dalling, Sam (13 December 2023). "Shoaib Bashir interview: I mistakenly ignored Brendon McCullum's call for England selection". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
40. Ammon, Lizzie; Westerby, John (11 December 2023). "England pick spinner, 20, with only ten first-class wickets". The Times. Retrieved 12 December 2023.