For the 2026 County Championship Division Two season, Derbyshire has signed England spinner Shoaib Bashir. After an uneven county career with Somerset, the 22-year-old, who has been a steady part of England’s Test team over the past two years, joins the club seeking a new beginning.
Shoaib Bashir has had difficulty making a name for himself at Somerset despite his achievements in international cricket. Shoaib Bashir hasn’t had many chances because Jack Leach is the main spinner and Archie Vaughan is considered a backup. He was left out of the squad for the recent Ashes trip of Australia, where England played four of the five Test matches with all-rounder Will Jacks.
Notably, in just 19 Test matches since making his England Test debut in India in February 2024, Shoaib Bashir has claimed 68 wickets, including four five-wicket hauls. Despite playing with a fractured hand, he bowled Mohammad Siraj in England’s historic 22-run triumph over India at Lord’s and achieved his best figures of 6 for 81 against Zimbabwe last summer. His domestic numbers haven’t been poor, though.
I would love to play more red-ball cricket: Shoaib Bashir
Shoaib Bashir leaves Somerset with 21 wickets in 23 games across forms, including 14 wickets at an average of 74.78 in 10 County Championship games. He was unable to recover from loan stints at Worcestershire and Glamorgan; in April 2025, he took just two wickets at an average of 152 during his time at Glamorgan.
Under head coach Mickey Arthur’s direction, Derbyshire has set itself up as the perfect stage for Shoaib Bashir return. The team was looking for a replacement after Alex Thomson left, and Arthur, a former coach of Pakistan and South Africa, was instrumental in landing the agreement. Jack Morley and Joe Hawkins are part of a young spin group that Bashir will join.
“Any young athlete would benefit greatly from the opportunity to work with one of the world’s top coaches, Mickey Arthur, on Derbyshire’s incredibly exciting project. I’m eager to challenge for promotion with Derbyshire, play more red-ball cricket, and keep improving in the white-ball formats.I’m excited about this relocation and am looking forward to meeting the group,” Bashir stated in a statement.
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