australia cricket

Shoaib Bashir Hits Back at ‘Okay’ Remark by Nathan Lyon Ahead of Ashes 2025

Darpan Jain

Last updated: August 17, 2025

3 min read

England spinner Shoaib Bashir has fired back at Australia great Nathan Lyon, who labelled Jack Leach the best English tweaker a few days back. While praising Leach, Lyon also assessed Bashir and felt he “has been okay” in Tests.

Now, Bashir has replied to Lyon’s jibe, saying everyone is bound to have their opinions, and he is unfazed by the comments. However, on the PA news agency, he praised Lyon and his craft, pointing out how he uses overspin and puts ample revolutions on the ball to fetch wickets.

“Everyone has their own opinions, and that’s fine. I just stick to what I believe and what the people around me believe. I don’t really look at that stuff. I do enjoy the way he bowls, especially his overspin, it’s a great asset he has, and the amount of revs he puts on the ball.”

While Bashir is usually a cool-tempered personality, Lyon’s comments must have fired him up, and he will look to make an impact on Australian soil in The Ashes 2025 later this year. Currently, he is nursing a finger injury that required surgery after it was broken in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, and he has been out of action.

Why have England chosen Shoaib Bashir as their lead spinner in Tests?

England have options like Jack Leach and Liam Dawson in the spin department, but they have persisted with Shoaib Bashir, who has been decent in a short span. The biggest reason to have him as the lead spinner is his height and high-arm release, which the team management thinks will be vital in Australia.

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Like Lyon, Bashir also imparts more overspin, which helps him kick the ball more sharply after pitching. These traits mean he will get more bounce in Australia, where the average bounce is naturally higher than most other countries, and he can replicate what Lyon has been doing all these years.

That is one of the reasons why England back him despite wayward bowling and a lack of control as a spinner. He has enough ingredients to make a genuine difference in The Ashes, and the management has invested enough in him to take him to Australia.

Bashir’s only issue will be control, for he often bowls hit-me deliveries and fails to compile a tight over with no loose stuff in this format. Once he masters it, the other factors, which are clearly an advantage with him, will help him develop and become a complete package, someone who can help England do the unthinkable Down Under later this year.