VISAKHAPATNAM: Brendon McCullum has indicated that Pakistan-Origin Shoaib Bashir may make his England debut in the second Test against India at Visakhapatnam on Friday, suggesting the potential of deploying an all-spin attack during the five-match series in India. Bashir, who joined the squad in Hyderabad on Sunday following visa delays that led to a detour via London from England’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, possesses a modest first-class record of 10 wickets in six matches. Despite this, England’s management views his skills as suitable for Indian conditions.
As the touring side arrived in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, concerns lingered over Jack Leach’s fitness for the second Test due to a bruised knee sustained during limited spells in Hyderabad. However, if Leach is deemed fit and the ACA-VDCA ground pitch appears conducive to spin, England may consider fielding all four of their spinners simultaneously.
In their recent 28-run victory in Hyderabad, England relied solely on Mark Wood as their seam option. Although the likes of James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, and Ollie Robinson remain in contention, McCullum raised the possibility of England entering a Test without a seam option.
“Bash, he was obviously with us during our camp in Abu Dhabi and he really impressed with his skillset,” McCullum told the media. “He fitted in seamlessly within the group and he’s a guy who’s got an immense amount of enthusiasm, albeit at a young age and pretty limited in his first-class experience.
