Shoaib Bashir has “shown the world what he can do” according to England captain Ben Stokes, after the spinner’s five-wicket haul clinched victory for England in Nottingham..
Bashir took five for 41 to help bowl out the West Indies for 143 on day four at Trent Bridge, a performance that secured England a 241 run victory and a series win.
It was Bashir’s first five-wicket haul in England and came in just his second Test match at home. The 20-year-old spinner was plucked out of relative obscurity last summer when Stokes saw a social media video of Bashir bowling to Alastair Cook in the County Championship. Stokes sent the video on to head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key, which led to Bashir’s selection for an England Lions training camp and eventually the Test tour of India. At his county Somerset, he is currently second choice behind England’s previous first-choice spinner Jack Leach.
“I don’t think gratification comes out of an ‘I told you so’ moment or having a point to prove,” Stokes said in the moments after England’s win in Nottingham. “Because the decisions we make are all based around not only how far we think their talent can take them, but also that we think they’re good enough for international cricket straight away.
“This is the worst that they’ll be. And if you think you can identify talent and you can throw them into an international environment and give them the confidence, give them the backing that they’re going to progress really quickly.
“I don’t want to say it’s an ‘I told you so’ kind of thing, but it sort of is,” he joked.
Bashir was part of the eleven at Lord’s last week, but did not bowl in James Anderson’s final Test with conditions heavily favouring the seamers, meaning that the week in Nottingham was the first time he had bowled for England in home conditions.
“Every time we came in for a break [at Lord’s], Baz was going ‘this is Bash if you haven’t met him already,” Stokes said.
“He showed what he could do in India with conditions in his favour,” Stokes said. “But the pitch this week didn’t really offer much for spin…I think what he’s done today is showed the world what he can do.”
Bashir’s five-fer meant he became the youngest England bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a home Test and the first spinner to take five wickets in an innings at Trent Bridge since 2006. Of his dismissals, his delivery to Jason Holder was the pick of the bunch, as a change of seam position led to the ball skidding on past Holder’s outside edge where previously Bashir had been getting the ball to spin into the right hander.
“The way in which he can change his pace, over spin, under spin, I think he showed his full bag of tricks today in particular,” Stokes concluded.” I thought the ball he got Jason Holder with was a great sign; you can see the seam was sideways. He’s got so much talent, the ceiling is so, so high and he’s got an unbelievable desire and will to get better and learn.”
Stokes refused to be drawn on whether England will rotate their seamers ahead of the final Test of the series at Birmingham which starts on Friday, a decision that could mean a debut for Nottinghamshire seamer Dillon Pennington.
“I think that’ll be a decision that will be decided much more to the back end of the week. It’s been another tough week for the bowlers, a lot of time out in the field and a lot of hard work as well. Again, finishing a day early is really good for the whole group. The batters are all in really good form, the bowlers are all in really good form and we’re looking forward to a few days off and hopefully we can keep the winning streak going.”
