England's Best Ignored by Club

County Snub: Young Bashir Focusing on India But Isn't in the Running at Somerset

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Shoaib Bashir is preparing to shoulder England's spinning burden against India even though the young bowler cannot even get into his own county team.

The tall Somerset off-spinner is a fixture in Ben Stokes's Test side but is behind left-armer Jack Leach in the Taunton pecking order.

In fact, he often finds himself third choice, with Somerset preferring the all-round ability of Archie Vaughan in their County Championship matches.

The 21-year-old Bashir was plucked from relative obscurity to make his Test debut against India in Visakhapatnam last year. He is set to make his 16th consecutive appearance in today's series opener against the same opponents at Headingley.

Bashir has occasionally been paired with his county colleague Leach but more often than not has operated as England's lone spinner.

His Test figures, while not remarkable, are solid for a spinner—he has taken 58 wickets at an average of 36.39, including four five-wicket hauls.