Bashir named in England XII for final Ashes Test

Spinner Shoaib Bashir and seamer Matthew Potts both make the

England Men have named a 12-strong squad for the fifth Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, beginning on Sunday 4 January.

Spinner Shoaib Bashir and seamer Matthew Potts are included. From the side that defeated Australia in the fourth Test in Melbourne, Gus Atkinson is the sole player missing, having been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

England team for the fifth Ashes Test:

Ben Stokes (Captain)
Shoaib Bashir
Jacob Bethell
Harry Brook
Brydon Carse
Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Will Jacks
Matthew Potts
Joe Root
Jamie Smith(WK)
Josh Tongue

The visitors will be forced into making a change with the injury to Gus Atisonson.

England have named their 12-man squad for the fifth Ashes Test against England with the addition of Matthew Potts and Shoaib Bashir to the squad. The pair are yet to feature for the visitors on the tour but with the injury to Gus Atkinson, at least one of the two is set to get an opportunity.

Ben stokes and co. bounced back in Melbourne after losing the first three Test matches to gain valuable ICC World Test Championship points and will be looking to end the series on a high with another victory in Sydney.

The Melbourne win was their first Test win in Australia since 2011.

England squad:

Zak Crowley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir

Ashes schedule:

First Test: Perth Stadium, November 21–22 (Australia won by eight wickets)
Second Test: Gabba, December 4-7 (Australia won by eight wickets)
Third Test: Adelaide Oval, December 17–21 (Australia won by 82 runs)
Fourth Test: MCG, December 26-30(England won by 4 wickets)
Fifth Test: SCG, January 4-8

England has selected off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a 12-man squad for the fifth Ashes Test against Australia in Sydney.

Bashir has not played in the first four matches despite beginning the series as England’s first-choice spinner.

The 22-year-old missed out on the first Test after being named in a 12-man squad in Perth and has since been ignored in favor of all-rounder Will Jacks.

Seamer Matthew Potts is also in the England XI, with the tourists guaranteed to make at least one change from the side that won the fourth Test in Melbourne after Gus Atkinson was ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendan McCullum, England usually name their XI two days out from a Test.

However, the tourists have chosen to wait longer before the final match, which starts on Sunday (23:30 GMT Saturday), in order to assess conditions at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

On Thursday the pitch looked to have a thick coverage of grass, but by Friday it was losing its green tinge.

Sydney usually offers assistance to slow bowlers. Three of the four leading Test wicket-takers at the venue are Australian spinners – Shane Warne, Stewart MacGill and Nathan Lyon.

But this Ashes has been dominated by seam bowling. So far only nine wickets have been taken by spinners, leaving it on track for the least taken by slow bowlers in an Ashes series of at least four Tests.

Australia skipped a spinner from their line-up for the fourth Test, which England won by four wickets in Melbourne to cut the series deficit to 3-1.

Now the hosts could include off-spinner Todd Murphy, while all-rounder Beau Webster might replace Cameron Green and also offers a spin option.

England XII for final Ashes Test: Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Language.

Bashir has not played for England since the third Test against India in July. He suffered a broken finger at Lord’s, yet was still capable of taking the wicket that sealed a thrilling victory.

His only cricket on the Ashes tour has came in the warm-up game between England and England Lions prior to the first Test, then for the Lions against a Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane. In those games, Bashir returned combined figures of 2-266.

England explained Jacks’ selection by a need to bolster their batting. Primarily a batsman, Jacks offered depth at number eight and had taken four wickets. He did not bowl in the two-day Test at Melbourne.

Realistically, England’s choice is between Bashir and Jacks, depending on how much of a role the visitors believe spin will play.

If Bashir gets the nod, it will leave England with a long tail, with Brydon Carse at number eight.

Durham seamer Potts is in line for his Ashes debut as Atkinson’s replacement. Potts played the most recent of his 10 Tests in New Zealand at the end of 2024.

An England regular when Stokes and McCullum took charge in the summer of 2022, the 27-year-old has had a staccato career over the last three years. His previous seven caps have come against six different opponents.

“He’s bowling really well,” said England opener Zak Crawley. “I faced a bit of Pottsy and every time he impresses me.

“He’s got the heart of a lion, a lot of skill and if he gets the nod this week he thorough deserves it.”

Matthew Potts is set to make his first appearance at the Ashes in the final Test in Sydney, after England named a 12-man squad that also features Shoaib Basher.

Potts has been an unused member of the party for the entirety of the tour, but is poised for an 11th cap after Gus Atkinson was ruled out with a hamstring injury picked up in the fourth Test, which England won to make it 3-1. Matthew Fisher is the only other seamer on the ground, having been called in from the Lions set-up to replace the injured Mark Wood (left knee), with Joffra Archer also having departed with a side strain.

Given the fallout from the Boxing Day Test,

with plenty of scorn reserved for a spicy MCG pitch that contributed to a two-day finish,England anticipate a flatter surface this week at the SCG. It bore a slight green tinge on Friday, and Stokes is waiting to have another look at the pitch on Saturday before the Sunday start before naming an XI.

Stokes is usually the game for announcing a team 48 hours before the start of a Test, but has been more cautious on this trip amidst general uncertainty over conditions. A 12-man squad was also announced for the first Test in Perth, with Bashir the one to miss out on that occasion as England opted for an all-pace attack. Bashir is likely to miss out again, especially given the forecast for the Test, with rain scheduled for the first two days. It is unlikely England will see the need for two offspin options with Will Jacks present as a slow-balling allrounder, or that Bashir, a No. 11, will replace Jacks given England want the extra batting.

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