Ben Stokes has been at pains to point out that Shoaib Bashir “is the man” when England want their frontline spinner, even though the 22-year-old will sit out Thursday’s pink-ball Test at the Gabba. The captain also believes Mark Wood can yet feature later in the Ashes despite another flare-up of the fast bowler’s left knee.
England have made just one switch from the XI beaten inside two days at Perth. Wood, feeling discomfort after 11 overs on his Test return, gives way to all-rounder Will Jacks. Stokes called it a “tactical” move for a day-night contest rather than a loss of faith in Bashir.
“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,” Stokes said on Wednesday. “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.”
Bashir and fellow squad player Jacob Bethell have been released to the England Lions side that faces Australia A at Allan Border Field from Friday. Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum broke the news to Bashir before the Test team was announced on Tuesday afternoon.
“It was pretty much that we thought that was the best XI for the conditions and the circumstances of the game,” Stokes explained. “But he knows that if it comes down to picking our best spinner, he’s the man.”
A frustrating run
Bashir has not played first-class cricket since July, when a broken little finger ended his India tour. He was expensive in the intra-squad hit-out at Perth, and England opted for an all-seam attack in the series opener. Even so, the management still view him as their long-term spin option; indeed, he holds a central England contract without having a county deal after Somerset let him go in September.
Wood’s knee, meanwhile, remains a worry. He wore a brace in Brisbane training this week and is unlikely to be ready for the third Test in Adelaide on 17 December. Stokes, though, is not giving up.
“It’s obviously a little bit of a setback,” he said. “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.”
Opportunity for Jacks
Jacks, three years on from his debut series in Pakistan, has a fresh chance to stake a Test claim. Stokes called him “incredibly talented” and likes the extra lower-order ballast his batting brings, along with tidy off-spin that can keep one end quiet when the ball softens.
Analytically speaking, England’s reluctance to field two frontline spinners under lights at the Gabba is understandable. Historically, the pink Kookaburra offers seamers movement in the twilight sessions; finger spin can feel like a holding role until the ball turns soft. Jacks fulfils that brief while shoring up a tail that folded for 147 in Perth.
Conditions and context
Gabba pitches have quickened since the ground switched to drop-in surfaces, yet spinners enjoyed unexpected success in the 2023 day-nighter here. Nathan Lyon’s five-for was a reminder that shape through the air, rather than extravagant turn, wins dismissals once the lacquer comes off. Bashir has that shape, but England fancy an extra batter now and the option of Joe Root’s part-time off-breaks if more spin is needed.
The pink ball can ask awkward questions of a recovering knee, too, because bowling spells are often short and intense. Losing Wood mid-match would leave England effectively a bowler down. With 14 overs of tidy seamers from Jacks and Bethell’s left-arm angle available for the Lions, the decision to hold Wood back for Adelaide’s truer surface feels pragmatic.
Bashir’s next step
For Bashir, four days with the Lions offer precious overs at match intensity and a chance to press for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, where the drop-in strip often grips as it ages. He has claimed 28 Test wickets at 32 since debuting in India, his subtle drift and topspin admired by Root, who told BBC radio last week that the youngster is “already learning tricks it took me a decade to see”.
England still have three evenings before the Gabba lights click on. If dew is heavier than expected or the surface cracks early, conversation could shift back to classical spin. For now, the message is simple enough: Jacks for balance, Bashir still No. 1, Wood on the rehab trail.
Stokes summed it up with a shrug. “It’s one game,” he said. “We’ve picked a team we think can win this one. After that, doors stay open.”
