Shoaib Bashir Retains No.1 Spinner Status, Says Stokes Despite Brisbane Omission

Shoaib Bashir was once considered England’s main spinner; however, his omission from the Brisbane test has raised questions about the Stokes-led team’s selection strategy. The Playing XI of England in the second test included Will Jacks in place of Bashir, highlighting a contrast between the team’s stated intentions and their actual selection decisions.

Defending the selection, Ben Stokes said that Jacks was included in the squad for tactical reasons. He reiterated that Shoaib Bashir is still England’s main spinner, but his omission was made for strategic purposes.

"We tried to look at how we thought spin was going to be used, and there was a bit of a tactical element to it. Obviously Jacksy's ability with the bat, to have that down the order for us is useful as well. [But] if it ever comes down to picking our best, number one spinner, selection would go the other way." said England captain, Ben Stokes.

He further explained that the squad for the Brisbane Test was selected with the conditions in mind. He added that Bashir himself understands the decision, as he is aware of his importance in the current setup.

"It was pretty much that we thought that was the best XI for the conditions and the circumstances of the game. But he knows that if it comes down to picking our best spinner, he's the man." explained Ben Stokes.

Mark Wood’s Injury a Big Setback for England

Speaking about the injury of Mark Wood, Ben Stokes admitted that his unavailability is a big setback for the England team. He added that Wood is doing his best to recover quickly, but he still needs some time to regain full fitness.

"It's obviously a little bit of a setback. But he's doing everything that he can, and the medical group are doing everything they can to try to get him to potentially be available for selection in the last three [Tests]. But yeah, look, we've got a lot more time to go on this tour, and we'll just see how things play out with that." said Ben Stokes.

The captain then praised the skillset of Will Jacks, saying that he is a talented player who has shown remarkable improvement during the last few years. He noted that Jacks has been performing well in the nets for some time and follows an excellent training routine. Keeping all these things in view, it is certainly great to have him in the England squad for the Brisbane test.

"He's turned himself into the cricketer I always thought he could be. He's incredibly talented, and I think he's gone from strength to strength since that Pakistan tour. He's been playing so well in the nets and the time he's been out here training. It's great for us that we've got someone who's looking in pretty good order coming into a big Test match." concluded Ben Stokes.

On the first day of the Brisbane Test, England showcased a strong performance with the bat. Although Will Jacks didn’t make a big score in the first innings, his part-time spin bowling remains a valuable asset for the England team. It would be interesting to see how much impact he will create with that, as Australia will also come hard in their batting innings.