ESPNcricinfo reports that off-spinner Shoaib Bashir is set to keep his England central contract, even though he has played only two Tests in the past 12 months. The ECB has not announced anything yet.
ESPNcricinfo reported on Tuesday 6 October 2026 that England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir is set to retain his central contract for the 2026-27 cycle. The story is an ESPNcricinfo exclusive by senior correspondent Matt Roller, and the ECB has not confirmed any of it. The full contract list is expected next week, after the announcement was pushed back from this week.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Player | Shoaib Bashir, England off-spinner, turns 23 next week |
| Reported outcome | Set to retain his central contract for 2026-27 |
| Tests in last 12 months | Two |
| Why he is reportedly kept | England may go all-seam in South Africa depending on conditions, but need spin options for Bangladesh in February |
| Announcement | Expected next week, not yet made by the ECB |
Two Tests in a year, but the winter needs him
Bashir's recent record on the pitch is thin. ESPNcricinfo says his two Tests in the past 12 months both came in England's 2-1 series loss to New Zealand this summer. He then sat out the whole 3-0 win over Pakistan as an unused squad member. Things looked very different when he was first picked on England's tour of India in early 2024 and then became the first-choice spinner for the next 18 months.
That run stopped when he broke a finger against India at Lord's in July 2025. Since then he has played only twice, including one Test where he did not bowl a ball, and he was a peripheral figure on last winter's Australia tour. His chances also dropped after Ben Stokes retired from international cricket, which forced England to rebalance the Test side. His first season at Derbyshire was quiet too, with 24 wickets at 47.70.
The winter is where the case for him reportedly rests. England may stick with an all-seam attack for the three-match South Africa series in December and January, depending on conditions, with Stephen Fleming due to start as Test head coach. Bangladesh in February is another story, and England will want frontline spin options for that trip. ESPNcricinfo reports Bashir is expected back in contention on the winter tours.
Wider contract picture
Per the same report, Jordan Cox, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence and Ollie Robinson are all expected to win deals after breaking into the Test team this summer. Tom Banton is set for his first central contract on the back of strong white-ball form, and Rehan Ahmed's deal is set to be renewed even though he lost his place for next month's ODI tri-series in Pakistan.
Some players are already locked in. Brydon Carse is heading into the second year of a two-year contract, and ESPNcricinfo notes he is under investigation by the Cricket Regulator after a charge of bringing the game into disrepute. Jofra Archer, Harry Brook and Josh Tongue are also on two-year deals. The ECB offered 26 men's central contracts last year plus four pace-bowling development contracts. Stokes and Mark Wood will both come off the list after their international retirements, which frees up significant funds, so the total offers could grow slightly with some pay rises. Rob Key oversaw the 2023 overhaul of the contracting system, the first time multi-year deals were offered.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould spoke about the approach on the Stick to Cricket podcast last week. "We need to make sure that we retain the best players," he said.
Read the full story on ESPNcricinfo. ESPNcricinfo.
Backing a spinner for the conditions you expect is a selection call BuildXI players make all the time. BuildXI is a fan game, not affiliated with the IPL or BCCI, where you spin eleven real IPL squads from 2008 to 2025, pick one player from each and play fourteen league matches. Deciding when a specialist earns his place over another seamer is half the fun. The target is 14-0.