LONDON — Shoaib Bashir has been named in England's 12-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's and will play in the XI when the match begins in June 2026. The selection marks his return to international cricket after not featuring for England since the third Test against India at Lord's in July 2025.
In that match against India, Bashir took the final wicket to secure victory despite having broken a finger earlier in the game. He was subsequently overlooked for selection during England's entire Ashes series in Australia, which England lost 4-1.
England head coach Brendon McCullum defended the decision to omit Bashir from the Ashes squad, explaining that it was driven by playing conditions rather than form. "When I look back to why he wasn't required in Australia, it wasn't to do with how the ball was coming out of his hand per se, we just felt the conditions were not conducive to spin bowling – as did Australia," McCullum told BBC Sport.
McCullum reaffirmed England’s confidence in the 22-year-old spinner, who made his debut at age 20 on the 2024 tour of India after playing only six first-class matches for Somerset. "We firmly believe in Bash as an international cricketer," McCullum said.
Bashir left Somerset at the end of the 2025 season to join Derbyshire and has taken 15 wickets in six County Championship matches for his new county at the start of the 2026 summer.
Rain is forecast for much of the first Test at Lord's, and the pitch showed a green tinge earlier in the week. McCullum acknowledged potential adjustments: "There is a little bit of jeopardy around the conditions and the forecast over the next 48 hours. We have a strong understanding of what we think will be our XI, but we do want to have the ability to pivot if required, if the conditions turn out to be slightly different to what we anticipate."