Shoaib Bashir’s 2025 Test series against India was all about grit, learning and a moment at Lord’s he’ll never forget. The young England off-spinner made a big impact, especially in the third Test, despite bowling with a broken non-bowling hand.
During India’s chase of 193 at Lord’s with the game in the balance, Bashir was given the ball by captain Ben Stokes. With a fractured finger strapped up, he delivered a turning ball that spun sharply and bowled Mohammed Siraj—winning England the game by 22 runs. “I couldn’t see the bail come off clearly so I just reacted to how the others were celebrating,” Bashir said. “That feeling in front of a full house at Lord’s will stay with me forever.”
Bashir had already dismissed Siraj in the second Test at Edgbaston using a carrom ball—a variation he’d been working on with Moeen Ali. “Mo encouraged me a lot. I’ve always looked up to him,” Bashir said. “I felt confident with the carrom ball after he visited our training camp. That meant a lot to me.”
He played through the pain to make a difference. Earlier in the Lord’s Test he’d injured his finger trying to take a return catch off Jadeja. Scans confirmed a fracture and he later had surgery. But when England needed every run he still padded up and faced Jasprit Bumrah’s short ball. “We didn’t talk about me batting but I was going to. Even five or ten runs could matter.”
He missed the last two Tests of the series which ended 2-2. His replacement Liam Dawson went wicketless, which showed just how valuable Bashir was—even on spin friendly pitches where he took 10 wickets at 54.10.
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Looking back on the series Bashir said, “It was a great learning experience. I’m proud of what I contributed.” He also shrugged off criticism from Australian spinner Nathan Lyon, “People are entitled to their opinions but I focus on what I and the people close to me think. ”Bashir is looking forward to the 2025-26 Ashes. He’s never played a Test in Australia but he got some experience with the England Lions and learned how to use his height and spin to get bounce on hard pitches. “It’s not just about being tall,” he said. “It’s about using that bounce cleverly and improving every day.”
With a desire to learn and a love for the game Bashir is building himself into a big part of England’s future—sneakily, steadily and with lots of heart.
