England reshuffle squad for New Zealand Test with Bashir’s return

England have announced a 12-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, with Shoaib Bashir named as the primary spinner after being overlooked for the entire Ashes series. England head coach Brendon McCullum has backed Bashir as the team’s first-choice spinner, citing favourable conditions at Lord’s compared to Australia. The 22-year-old has taken 68 wickets in 19 Tests for England and recently joined Derbyshire, where he has taken 15 wickets in six County Championship matches. McCullum stated that Bashir was excluded from the Ashes squad because conditions in Australia were not conducive to spin bowling, not due to his performance.

Bashir gets the nod at Lord’s ahead of leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who is missing his first home Test. McCullum highlighted the value of Bashir’s recent game time with Derbyshire, noting that playing cricket for a young spinner allows him to work through various situations. "He's growing at quite an amazing speed, not just in his spin bowling, but even just his presence, and his overall athleticism," McCullum said. The weather forecast predicts rain for much of the Test, which may influence the selection between Bashir and the uncapped Sonny Baker, who can bowl at 90mph.

Uncapped seamer Sonny Baker is also included in the squad, potentially vying with Gus Atkinson for the final pace bowling spot. McCullum described Baker as an exciting proposition who swings the ball both ways and can touch 90mph. "There is a little bit of jeopardy around the conditions and the forecast over the next 48 hours," McCullum said, adding that the team wants the ability to pivot if conditions differ from expectations. Ollie Robinson has been recalled to the squad after more than two years, while Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse are unavailable due to IPL commitments and injury respectively.

The squad includes Test debutant opener Emilio Gay, who replaces Zak Crawley, while captain Ben Stokes will bat at number seven, swapping positions with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Stokes averages 18 with the bat during the Ashes, while Jamie Smith averages 44 at number six compared to 38 at number seven. McCullum described the change as a small tactical shift to get Smith more time with the out-and-out batters, while leveraging Stokes’ experience with the tail. Jacob Bethell has been passed fit after a finger injury and will bat at number three.

The England 12-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand comprises Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Ollie Robinson, Sonny Baker, and Shoaib Bashir. The team will look to capitalise on the Lord’s pitch, which had a green tinge on Tuesday, as they aim to bounce back from the 4-1 Ashes defeat.