Former England skipper Michael Vaughan is unhappy with the playing XI chosen for the first Test against the West Indies. The three-match series kicked off on Wednesday, July 10, at Lord's in London. Vaughan's criticism centers on the selection of players who aren't considered first-choice options for their counties in County Cricket. He specifically mentioned off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and keeper Jamie Smith on his podcast, "The Vaughany and Tuffers Podcast."
Vaughan believes the selectors are overlooking strong performances in County Cricket when making their picks for the national team. Despite Vaughan's criticism, England has a historically good record against the West Indies on home soil in Test matches. In their last encounter in 2020, England won the series 2-1 after losing the opening Test.
"They are not looking at County cricket. They are just looking at the players. Bashir is not the first-choice spinner at Somerset, Jack Leach is. Ben Foakes is the first-choice keeper at Surrey and not Jamie Smith. England are picking players that aren't first-choice at their counties. I don't think they are looking at County cricket as a tool to say 'You are an international cricketer.'"
Two new faces will be making their debuts for England on home soil in the first Test against the West Indies. Shoaib Bashir, a young off-spinner who impressed on the recent tour of India with 17 wickets in three Tests, will get his first chance on home soil. Behind the stumps, Jamie Smith, a prolific run-scorer with over 500 runs for Surrey in the County Championship, took the gloves for England for the first time.
However, the selection of Bashir has raised eyebrows, particularly from former England captain Michael Vaughan. On his podcast, Vaughan expressed surprise that Bashir was chosen over the more experienced Jack Leach. Vaughan argued that Leach, the established number one spinner, would have been a better fit, especially with the Ashes looming. He acknowledged Bashir's talent but pointed out that he's currently the second-choice spinner at his county.
"Bashir over Jack Leach is an intriguing one. I would have gone for Jack Leach. Bashir is a wonderful talent and no doubt that in a two-man spin attack he would be the second spinner. But Jack Leach has earned the right for being England's No.1. In Australia, a left-arm spinner against their right-handers, they haven't got many left-handers. Left-arm spin is quite a good option in Australia," Vaughan added.
England are playing their first Test against the West Indies with a mix of experience and fresh faces. Gus Atkinson, a young pace bowler, made his Test debut in the match being held in London. The experienced duo of Chris Woakes and James Anderson will headline the bowling attack. Woakes, making his return to Test cricket after nearly a year, will partner with Anderson, who is set to bid farewell to international cricket after this match. This will be Anderson's 188th Test, marking the end of a legendary career. England enter this match with a lot to prove. Currently languishing at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, the team led by Ben Stokes is aiming for a revival against the West Indies. Their recent record hasn't been inspiring, with just three wins out of ten matches in the ongoing WTC cycle. This series presents a crucial opportunity for them to climb the rankings and get their campaign back on track.
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