Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has hailed Jack Leach as England’s best spinner, while describing current first-choice and likely 2025-26 Ashes squad member Shoaib Bashir as simply “okay.”
Since last year’s tour of Pakistan, Leach has not played for England. During that series, he took 16 wickets in three Tests at an average of 31.43 and a strike rate of 50.75—both significantly better than Bashir’s nine wickets at 49.55 and 79.44, respectively. Despite Leach bowling well in his last series, England have stuck with Bashir.
Bashir made his debut in India earlier this year and has since been a regular in the side. At 21, he became the youngest England spinner to reach 50 Test wickets. He started the India series as England’s first-choice spinner and featured in three Tests before injury sidelined him. When a replacement was needed, Liam Dawson was called up instead of Leach—a strong sign that the 34-year-old is no longer in England’s immediate plans, particularly for the 2025-26 Ashes.
Bashir has been okay: Lyon
Lyon, who has played against Leach, believes the Somerset left-armer remains England’s top spinning option.
“I obviously played with Jimmy Anderson last year at Lancashire, and they basically said that they’re picking Bashir to do what I do,” Lyon said during a Cricket Australia sponsorship announcement in Sydney on Thursday. “So I took a little bit of pride out of Jimmy respecting a little bit of what I’ve been able to do in my career. But Bashir has been okay. Jacob Bethell is playing this Test match [at The Oval against India], and he looks like he’ll take up the spin bowling from Liam Dawson. But in my eyes, Jack Leach is still their best spinner.”
Leach played three Tests during the 2021-22 Ashes in Australia, taking six wickets at an average of 53.50. Bashir, meanwhile, has yet to play in Australian conditions, but he appears likely to travel as England’s main specialist spinner in a squad expected to be dominated by pace options.
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