Legendary batter Alastair Cook has issued a stern warning to the English team: drop Shoaib Bashir from the XI for the Lord's Test. It came after the spinner failed to make any significant impact with the ball in the first two matches of the series. Bashir, who was the lone front-line spinner for England in the first two Tests, claimed eight wickets at a strike rate of 90. The Indian batters haven't found any difficulty counterattacking him on the flat tracks as the likes of Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill smashed him for boundaries at will.
The crushing defeat at Edgbaston has ramped up the pressure on Ben Stokes and his team, potentially prompting significant changes to the playing XI, with several promising players eager for a chance to break into the side.
Cook criticised Bashir for his lacklustre bowling displays and pointed out that he contributed little with the bat or in the field. The former England opener suggested Liam Dawson as a potential replacement for the Lord's Test, highlighting his all-round value, particularly in last year’s white-ball performances.
"If you are picking the strongest England side, I don't think he (Shoaib Bashir) gets into it. I would pick Liam Dawson. Why can't you bring a guy back? He is playing really well. He was England's MVP last year in all formats, done really well in T20, and he more than holds his own in four-day cricket. Bashir, unfortunately, doesn't add anything with the bat, and not much in the field, and he is averaging 60," Cook said on the YouTube show 'Stick to Cricket'.
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“What if you brought Bethell in for the off-spinner?”
In the same show, David Lloyd advised Bashir to return to domestic cricket and work on his skills to become a wicket-taker, as he turned out to be an expensive bowling option for England in the series.
{{/usCountry}}In the same show, David Lloyd advised Bashir to return to domestic cricket and work on his skills to become a wicket-taker, as he turned out to be an expensive bowling option for England in the series.
{{/usCountry}}"I'd go out somewhere and bowl and try to take wickets. He's no good. He'll know that if he's not taking wickets and going at four-plus an over, and they could go a lot more at him," he added.
Lloyd also recommended that England consider bringing in Jacob Bethell, a left-arm spinner who could simultaneously bolster the team’s batting depth.
"What if you brought Bethell in for the off-spinner? I don't know how well he bowls, but he bowls left-arm spin, and Root bowls. You are not losing too much from Bashir," Lloyd stated.