Shoaib Bashir hopes regular red-ball cricket can lead to England Test recall

England spinner Shoaib Bashir said he is delighted to get time in the middle to show what he can do after pressing his Test claims by returning his best County Championship figures.

Bashir, playing in just his fourth match since last July’s Test against India at Lord’s, took four for 76 from his 20 overs for Derbyshire against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

The 22-year-old was overlooked for all five Ashes Tests during England’s 4-1 defeat, with batting all-rounder Will Jacks contentiously preferred as the only spinning option.

Bashir, who has taken 68 wickets in his 19 Tests to date, chose to leave Somerset for Derbyshire ahead of this season in an attempt to get regular red-ball starts and push his claims for a Test recall.

“Just having some game time is quite nice,” Bashir, whose previous county best was three for 67 for Somerset against Hampshire in 2023, said at Old Trafford.

“Getting to bowl overs at this time of year, especially as a spinner, is very important. As I say, I’m still young as a spinner. I feel like they mature quite late.

“And for me to get exposure to the County Championship this early in the season and bowl as many overs as I have is very important for my development. And it will stand me in good stead moving forward.

“I think it was a position where I needed to attack by containing. My role on this wicket was slightly different to times when I normally bowl.

“Luckily I got to execute my plan and it worked.”

Having made a sluggish start to the season last week where he took just two wickets in the home match against Worcestershire, Bashir found his stride at Old Trafford.

His first wicket came from just his 10th ball to break a well-set Lancashire partnership as Josh Bohannon played on for 73 before he took a fine caught and bowled to remove Michael Jones.

Tom Hartley played all round one to give Bashir his third before the off-spinner produced a beauty to remove Tom Bailey.

It was a performance sure to catch the eye of England management as they look towards June’s Test series against New Zealand.

“I’m in contact with the (England) management, with the ECB,” Bashir said. “I speak to them pretty regularly.

“Jeetan Patel (spin bowling coach) is my go-to man, who I work with quite closely. So me and him have regular conversations, chats about different games.”