County News: Derbyshire Bold?

 

17/01

The much-needed tranquillity of Derbyshire is a chance Shoaib Bashir can ill afford not to take

OSCAR RESS: The off-spinner, an unused member of England's Ashes squad, has signed a two-year deal with the Division Two club

"He's a current international with immense potential, and we've worked hard to make this deal happen," said Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire's head of cricket, when marking the addition of Shoaib Bashir.

Despite Arthur's positivity - although he was hardly going to outline the obvious risks - this feels like a far better move for Bashir than Derbyshire.

When you factor in his uneven county record, a rawness not normally attached to the signing of a current international, and a confidence-deflating winter, it's a bold move from the club. 

His England central contract, which covers at least half of his two-year stint at the club, at least mitigates some of the financial risk.

But, with the club on the cusp of promotion from Division Two last season, it could prove to be an unhelpful addition. 

However, in the same breath, it's a lifeline of sorts for Bashir. 

While Andy Hurry, Somerset's director of cricket, revealed there was a contract offer on the table, events in Australia have laid the platform for an uncertain future.

Derby should provide some much-needed tranquillity after a whirlwind period since his Test debut in February 2024. It was a life-changing two years, constantly underpinned by external pressure, caused by the uniqueness of his selection after he was picked based on promise, rather than meaningful performance.

He now has the opportunity, away from the bright lights of international cricket, to be a normal 22-year-old professional cricketer again. He needs to bowl lots of overs and be given the platform to make mistakes, with the stakes of those errors being lower.

Under the guidance of Arthur, renowned for his ability to develop young players and with decades of experience at the highest level, he should be able to work on his game, improve and, most importantly, learn his craft.

Arthur can also be a harsh taskmaster. It will, undoubtedly, be worlds apart, in terms of leadership style, from Brendon McCullum.

Jeetan Patel, England's spin bowling coach, has been accused of not progressing Bashir's game sufficiently; you don't imagine that same accusation being levelled at Arthur.

That intensity has the potential to go one of two ways. Arthur, infamously, upset several members of Australia's Test team in 2013 when he asked them to do 'homework'. 

The unwavering positivity and backing from England (before the Ashes) made Bashir, in his own words, feel "10-foot tall". 

"I feel like I am very well backed here," he said after taking a five-for against Zimbabwe last summer. "I feel backed in county cricket too, but England cricket is my happy place. I walk into this England team and feel 10-foot tall because of the backing I get."

Derbyshire won't be an unpleasant environment for him, but no team bans negativity quite like England. The environment, even if the current regime is broken up over the coming weeks and months, will be very different.

The pressure will be on him in a slightly more existential way. Sure, he will be tasked, on the field, with taking wickets, winning matches and helping the county take that step into top-flight cricket. But without the same constant external scrutiny. 

It will arrive when the safety of a two-year deal begins to count down. The emphasis will then shift to staying in professional cricket, assuming his international prospects continue to dwindle.

This is a player who forged his path back into the professional game, with the help of Berkshire, after being let go from Surrey's academy. That is all well and good as an 18-year-old, with the promise of improvement, but it becomes so much harder the second time as a 24-year-old. 

He will need to show at some point over the next two seasons that he is capable of being kept on and trusted.

And that starts with getting into the team ahead of, or alongside, Jack Morley. The left-arm spinner managed 27 Division Two wickets - more than Bashir's career County Championship tally - including two five-wicket hauls, last season. He has significant support from Arthur, who dubbed him a future England bowler last season, and was involved in the ECB's first spin camp in July 2025.

While the pair could feasibly play together, neither are strong with the bat. Morley averages 7.65 from 30 first-class innings, Bashir 8.26 from 54.

The Ashes, when the tourists never played a front-line spinner, displayed the systemic issues with spin in English cricket. One outright spinner being picked as a specialist in the County Championship is hard enough, let alone two.

The club have also handed a very lucrative deal to Mohammed Abbas as one of their overseas players. Home conditions will surely be tailored to get the most out of him.

Whatever role he fulfils, Derbyshire know that they have not signed the finished product. He will need support, guidance and, without a doubt, a bit of love. Nineteen Tests deep, he remains a work in progress.

This might yet prove to be a masterstroke for both the club and player. The security of the deal will naturally help Bashir, especially in the short term. But as that safety begins to wane, he will need to prove that he is capable of taking this latest opportunity.