England’s forgotten Ashes vacationer Shoaib Bashir is on the verge of signing for Derbyshire.
Each day Mail Sport can reveal off-spinner Bashir, whose snubbing for the primary three Exams in opposition to Australia adopted his launch by Somerset on November 1, has agreed to maneuver to the East Midlands following months of in search of a brand new county residence.
Except there are any last-minute hitches, the 22-year-old will full his swap within the coming days.
His signing represents large enterprise for a membership altering its picture below skilled South African coach Mickey Arthur: they narrowly missed out on promotion within the County Championship final season, ending third in Division Two, and need to be an aspirational vacation spot for younger cricketers with ambition.
Derbyshire consider there’s potential for development in Bashir as a bowler inside their atmosphere and equally that their squad will profit from having somebody with 68 Check wickets inside it.
The one stumbling block has been some concern at board degree concerning the six-figure wage such a participant carries, and the prospect of it popping out of the 2027 finances ought to he lose his central contract subsequent autumn.
England’s forgotten Ashes vacationer Shoaib Bashir is on the verge of signing for Derbyshire
Bashir, whose snubbing for the primary three Exams in opposition to Australia adopted his launch by Somerset on November 1, has agreed to maneuver to the East Midlands
Bashir was caught behind Jack Leach at Taunton and didn’t get a lot of a look-in throughout mortgage spells at Worcestershire and Glamorgan both
However membership insiders are assured it won’t scupper the two-year contract settlement and that Bashir can rectify incongruous statistical returns at worldwide and home ranges: he has solely 18 wickets at 84 within the Championship.
Derbyshire’s outlay on him in the course of the 2026 season shall be restricted to relocation bills plus bonuses for workforce efficiency – whether or not he’s chosen by England or not.
Bashir’s 6ft 4in stature and excessive launch level seem like ideally suited to Derby, now one of many nation’s bouncier venues for bowlers. However with competitors from Jack Morley, the sluggish left-armer, extremely rated by Arthur, he could should bide his time to ascertain himself because the membership’s No1 spinner.
This has been a well-recognized theme to date in a fledgling profession that has taken Bashir from Surrey’s youth system to Somerset after which on mortgage to Worcestershire and Glamorgan.
There may be additionally the prospect of pairing the 2 collectively in each four-day and 50-over cricket, a format through which Bashir has appeared simply eight instances.
The anticipated announcement of Bashir’s recruitment follows the coup of Mohammad Abbas, 35, reuniting with former Pakistan coach Arthur.
Derbyshire have secured 2025 Championship winner Abbas on a two-year deal regardless of Nottinghamshire being eager on his return and different top-flight sides exhibiting curiosity, and in addition welcome again Australian left-hander Caleb Jewell, a participant who scored extra runs than anybody else within the nation throughout all county codecs final summer time.
A Twenty20 deal can also be being finalised for the return of Afghanistan thriller spinner AM Ghazanfar, who options for the worldwide franchises of the Mumbai Indians for almost all of the yr and whose financial system charge of seven.05 in final season’s Blast was the very best of any spinner to have despatched down 10 overs or extra.
Bashir will face competitors from left-armer Jack Morley at Derbyshire
Derbyshire head coach Mickey Arthur could be very eager on Morley, however the two may play collectively in red-ball matches
Yorkshire shut in on T20 celebrity
Yorkshire are additionally understood to be closing in on an Afghan participant for one in all their abroad slots within the form of Fazalhaq Farooqi – the left-armer who performs alongside membership captain Jonny Bairstow within the ILT20.
Farooqi completed because the main wicket-taker on the 2024 T20 World Cup with 17 and featured six instances for Nottinghamshire later that yr.
He has additionally tasted victory in opposition to England twice in current instances: taking the brand new ball at each the 50-over World Cup in 2023 and the Champions Trophy earlier this yr.
Afghan spinner Fazalhaq Farooqi is closing in on a transfer to Yorkshire
All eyes on David
One other international T20 star, Australia’s Tim David, is known to be a goal for each of his former county golf equipment in 2026.
Large-hitting match winner David performed twice for Surrey within the 2021 Blast and was a member of the Lancashire workforce that misplaced to Hampshire by one run within the following yr’s remaining at Edgbaston.
The 29-year-old has additionally been part of the champion Hobart and Bangalore sides on the Large Bash League and Indian Premier League prior to now 12 months.
A number of Australian cricketers have dedicated to English counties for the reason that begin of the Ashes, and a number of other extra are anticipated to finalise offers within the new yr.
Lancashire have recruited Victoria seamer Mitch Perry after lacking out on Ashes star Michael Neser, who’s returning to Hampshire alongside Jake Lehmann, son of Darren and probably the most prolific batsmen within the Sheffield Defend within the 2020s.
Tim David has performed 4 ODIs and 68 T20s – having began his worldwide profession taking part in for Singapore the place he was born, earlier than switching to Australia
Jake Lehmann, one of many key males in South Australia’s Sheffield Defend triumph, is on his technique to Hampshire
The Aussie inflow
One other Aussie with earlier expertise right here, Lehmann’s South Australia team-mate Nathan McAndrew, could possibly be on his technique to Glamorgan after surprisingly being surplus to necessities at Sussex, the place he took 50 first-class wickets at 22.32 throughout three seasons in addition to claiming 44 in 34 Blast appearances.
South African veteran Colin Ingram, the Welsh county’s main run scorer in Division Two, nonetheless has a yr to run on his contract, with quick bowler McAndrew lined as much as present additional firepower following promotion. Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando claimed 24 wickets in 10 outings in 2025.
Liam Scott, one other from Sheffield Defend champions South Australia, has earned a primary abroad gig with Gloucestershire, relieving compatriot Gabe Bell, of Tasmania, who will take the brand new ball throughout an early-season Championship stint lasting till Might 18.
Former Sussex and Warwickshire fast Nathan McAndrew (left) could possibly be on his technique to Glamorgan for subsequent season
Liam Scott is about for his first abroad gig as he joins Gloucestershire
Two different former Australia internationals, Cameron Bancroft and D’Arcy Quick, stay on the books.
Bell has 19 wickets this winter, two forward of Fergus O’Neill, who’s returning to Nottinghamshire following a four-match stint that catalysed their title cost in 2025.
Nonetheless, one Aussie leaving Trent Bridge is Daniel Sams, who has been snapped up by Somerset for his or her T20 title defence.
