20-year-old Shoaib Bashir played a pivotal role in England's 241-run victory over West Indies in the second Test at Trent Bridge. The young off-spinner's first five-wicket haul on English soil sealed the win and registered his name in the record books as the youngest England bowler to achieve this feat in a home Test.
Bashir's journey to this point has been nothing short of extraordinary. From being released by Surrey at the age-group level to impressing against Somerset's second team, and then catching England skipper Ben Stokes' eye through a social media clip, Bashir's rise has been brilliant.
His performance in Nottingham solidified his place in England's Test setup, coming after a successful tour of India earlier this year where he claimed 17 wickets. The match again saw England's batting abilities, with the hosts scoring over 400 in both innings for the first time in their Test history.
Also read: Ben Stokes lauds Shoaib Bashir after match-winning spell at Trent Bridge
Joe Root and Harry Brook's centuries set up a formidable target of 385 for the West Indies. However, it was Bashir's spell that truly broke the back of the chase. Reflecting on his performance, Bashir remained grounded.
"Look, it's always a learning curve. I'm just grateful for everything that's been given to me and I've just got to keep working hard. All cricket is tough. I'm still learning, still developing. Obviously in India, it's different conditions. So you come here and first innings you don't get much time [to bowl]. Just trying to work on consistency. I wasn't too happy with the way I bowled in the first innings. So it was nice to cash in there," he said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
It would have been nice if it had hit the stumps: Shoaib Bashir
His 5 for 41 in the second innings was a masterclass in spin bowling, with Bashir utilizing his height and variations to great effect. One particular delivery to Jason Holder, which narrowly missed the stumps, stood out.
"The ball that I bowled to Holder through the gate that just missed the stumps. Yeah, that got me excited. It would have been nice if it had hit the stumps. it spun from wide as well and I wasn't really expecting that to happen. that was the most special one, I reckon," he added.
Also read: Joe Root can overtake Sachin Tendulkar's record in Test cricket: Michael Vaughan
Despite his success, Bashir remains critical of his own performance, particularly in the first innings where he leaked runs while hunting for wickets. This self-awareness and desire to improve bode well for his future in the England setup.
"No, it [conversations with management] was nothing like that. I'm just grateful to be in the position I am. I take things step by step and I think religion helps me with that. I'm always going to stay grounded, stay humble. I remember back when I started things were quite tough for me and growing up cricket wasn't the easiest thing. So yeah, just trying to enjoy every moment I have in an England shirt," he concluded.
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