England spinner Shoaib Bashir has been damned with faint praise by Nathan Lyon but still remains a big admirer of his Ashes rival
Shoaib Bashir has said he is unfazed at Nathan Lyon’s lukewarm assessment of him, despite England’s first-choice spinner being an admirer of his Australian rival for many years.
With 562 wickets in 139 Tests, Lyon has been one of the standard bearers for his generation and is poised to be Australia’s frontline spinner for this summer’s blockbuster Ashes against England.
The 37-year-old is well-known for stoking the pre-Ashes flames and suggested a fortnight ago that Jack Leach is still England’s best spinner, adding Bashir “has been okay”.
Bashir, currently recovering from surgery on the little finger of his left hand, was unmoved by the jibe, as he told the PA news agency: “Everyone has their own opinions and that’s fine.
“I just stick to what I believe and what the people around me believe. I don’t really look at that stuff.”
Bashir was far more complimentary towards Lyon as the 21-year-old added: “I’ve never crossed paths with him but I have been watching him since I was young.
“I do enjoy the way he bowls, especially his overspin, it’s a great asset he has, and the amount of revs he puts on the ball. He’s someone I’ve been looking at for a while now.”
Taller than Lyon at 193cm but with the same wiry frame, Bashir, whose 68 Test wickets have been at a modest average of 39, has been tipped to capitalise on excess bounce often found on Australian pitches.
A reconnaissance mission Down Under last winter yielded just four wickets in five matches for England Lions but Bashir, having worked under Graeme Swann there, feels better prepared for the experience.
“I learned you do get bounce but you’ve got to find a way to use that,” Bashir said of his time in Australia.
“I’ve got height but there’s more than just height to extract bounce from the wicket. Just small technical things.
“It’s just (about) nailing what I do best. If you look at my attributes – I’m tall and try to put as many revs on the ball as I can, with that comes variations.
“I’m still learning, still quite young, I’m still trying develop my game and better myself day-by-day. That will never stop. I love talking about the game and I love learning.”
Bashir is likely to get his first experience of Ashes cricket on November 21 in Perth, having featured in a hotly-contested series against India this summer where there were a number of flashpoints.
The battle for the urn could see more heated scenes and Bashir, usually a cool customer, insisted he would not be afraid to stand his ground as England look for a first win in Australia since 2010-11.
He said: “Don’t be surprised if I do have a word but I genuinely like to keep things cool. If things do get heated then I’m there.
“It would be special and a great achievement (to win the series), especially with this regime at the moment. We’re looking forward to what it brings.”
2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes
First Test: November 21-25, Perth Stadium, 1.30pm AEDT
Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N), 3.30pm AEDT
Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 11am AEDT
Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT
Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT
