Bashir backed as England's first-choice spinner for New Zealand Test

Shoaib Bashir is set to be England's first-choice spinner for the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord's, marking his return to the international stage after being overlooked for the entire Ashes series. The 22-year-old has been named in a 12-man squad and is expected to feature in the starting XI.

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We firmly believe in Bash as an international cricketer.

England head coach Brendon McCullum firmly backed Bashir, stating, "We firmly believe in Bash as an international cricketer." He clarified that Bashir's exclusion from the Ashes was due to conditions not being conducive to spin bowling, rather than his performance. "We remain hugely confident and optimistic about Bash as a cricketer and the role he can play for us," McCullum added.

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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.

Bashir, who has taken 68 wickets in 19 Tests, recently moved to Derbyshire from Somerset. His inclusion means leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed misses out on playing his first home Test. Uncapped seamer Sonny Baker is also in contention for a spot in the team, potentially competing with Gus Atkinson for the final pace bowling position. England will also hand a Test debut to opener Emilio Gay, replacing Zak Crawley, who struggled during the Ashes. Pace bowler Jofra Archer is unavailable due to Indian Premier League commitments, while Brydon Carse is recovering from a broken wrist.

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We remain hugely confident and optimistic about Bash as a cricketer and the role he can play for us.