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England spinner Shaoib Bashir respects Nathan Lyon despite the Australia’s comment on his performance.
Shoaib Bashir (AFP Photo)
England spinner Shaoib Bashir is unfazed by Nathan Lyon’s recent comment on him and respects the Australian for the skills he brings to the table. The Australian had said Bashir had ‘been okay’ with his performance against India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, while Jack Leach was the best English spinner.
Bashir is currently recovering from a hand injury he suffered in the third Test of the series at Lord’s. In six innings, he took 10 wickets at 54.10 on pitches that weren’t conducive to spin. Bashir’s exploits included the final wicket of Mohammed Siraj at Lord’s, bowling with the injured hand, which won England the match.
“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 told the PA news agency.
“I’ve never crossed paths with him (Lyon) 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,” Bashir added.
Bashir and Lyon will almost certainly cross paths when England visit Australia for the 2025-26 Ashes at the end of the year. The Englishman has become the first-choice in the department because of his height and variety, which would be helpful in Australia. There were concerns over his form in England, but his replacement for the last two Tests, Liam Dawson (Leach was ignored), didn’t do much better to put forward his case.
Bashir speaks on Australia expeirence
Bashir hasn’t played a Test in Australia but did feature in five matches for England Lions here in 2024, taking only four wickets. He’s determined to take his learnings.
“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,” he added.
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