England's young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has left Somerset to join Derbyshire for the 2026 season. Bashir is a regular member of the Test squad but veteran left-arm spinner Jack Leach is the preferred choice in Somerset.
Bashir, who was benched for entire Ashes 2025-26 after being touted as the next best thing, is excited to work with Mickey Arthur who has coached Pakistan and South Africa in past.
"Derbyshire have a really exciting project going on and working with Mickey Arthur, one of the best coaches in the world, is a great opportunity for any young player," Bashir said.
"I'm keen to play more red-ball cricket, continue my development in the white-ball formats, and challenge for promotion with Derbyshire. This is an exciting move for me and I can't wait to meet the group."
Bashir has managed to take 21 wickets from 23 appearances for Somerset across formats. In County Championship, he managed to take just 14 wickets at an underwhelming average of 74.78.
Arthur on Bashir joining Derbyshire
Arthur is happy to have the services of Bashir, who has been labelled as ‘England’s no.1 spinner’ by skipper Ben Stokes.
"I'm pleased we've been able to bring Shoaib into our squad, he's a current international with immense potential and we've worked hard to make this deal happen,” Arthur said.
"We needed to add another spinner to our ranks, after the departure of Alex Thomson, and now we have a really exciting crop of young spinners, in Shoaib, Jack Morley and Joe Hawkins, who can all continue their development within our ranks.
"Our recruitment is all about bringing in quality players who can build on the solid foundations we laid in 2025. To be able to bring in a current England international is really exciting. He will bring great energy and experience into our dressing room, despite having so much time to still improve his game."
Somerset’s reaction to Bashir’s departure
Somerset's Director of Cricket, Andy Hurry revealed that Bashir was offered a contract extension but the young spinner decided to move on.
"Although he was offered a contract extension, Shoaib has decided that his future lies away from the Cooper Associates County Ground. We respect his decision, and everyone associated with Somerset wishes him well for the future,” Hurry said.
"It's been a pleasure to see him develop into an international cricketer during his time with the club and he will always receive a warm welcome when he returns to Taunton."
Bashir’s red-ball record
The 22-year-old has played 19 Tests so far and taken 68 wickets at an average of 39, including four fifers. In first-class cricket overall, he has 87 wickets at an average of 50.04 from 35 games.