England clear the way for Brydon Carse return while sidelining Shoaib Bashir

England have signalled they will be ready to recall fast‑bowler Brydon Carse to the senior squad after his recovery from a toe injury, while off‑spinner Shoaib Bashir has been omitted for the first time in his England career.

Tom Tongue is missing England’s one‑day series in Australia with a toe injury and is due to see a specialist in the UK. Depending on the status of his injury, he could appear in England’s sole warm‑up game before the South Africa Tests; if not, the tourists will be a seamer short.

Carse will compete for the seam spot with other Lions bowlers – Henry Crocombe, Olly Stone, Matthew Fisher, Eddie Jack, Matthew Potts and Mitchell Stanley – while England’s limited‑overs captain Ben North confirmed the team would call up “one or two” players to the senior squad to assess them under tournament conditions.

The South Africa tour will be England’s first under new head coach Stephen Fleming. Fleming travelled from New Zealand to meet management and select the Test squad while the white‑ball team prepares for the first one‑day against Australia on Friday.

Jacob Bethell returns to the Test side for the first time since July after a knee injury. His comeback adds to the congestion in the top order, which already includes Emilio Gay and Jordan Cox following a 3‑0 home win over Pakistan, and England have yet to settle on their top six for the first Test against South Africa.

All‑rounder Sam Curran, who had been touted as a potential replacement for former captain Ben Stokes, is not in consideration because he is getting married; the wedding was planned before Stokes announced his international retirement.

England Lions red‑ball squad for the two first‑class matches in South Africa: Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse, James Coles, Mason Crane, Henry Crocombe, Matthew Fisher, Jack Haynes, George Hill, Eddie Jack, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, James Rew, Thomas Rew, Mitch Stanley, Olly Stone, Asa Tribe.

England Lions 50‑over squad: Rehan Ahmed, Brydon Carse, Mason Crane, Adam Finch, Matthew Fisher, Calvin Harrison, Jack Haynes, George Hill, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Ollie Pope, James Rew, Naavya Sharma, Ekansh Singh, Asa Tribe.

Bashir’s omission is striking, given the faith England placed in the off‑spinner under Stokes and previous Test coach Brendon McCullum. Debuting at 20 after only six first‑class matches, Bashir was fast‑tracked as England’s number‑one spinner and became the youngest England bowler to reach 50 Test wickets. A broken hand and lack of form saw him omitted from last winter’s 4‑1 defeat in Australia, and he bowled in only one of England’s six home Tests this summer. He retained a central contract last month, but is now effectively dropped from a squad for the first time. The 23‑year‑old will instead join Carse in the Lions.

“Our investment hasn’t changed,” said North of Bashir. “He is still a very young man, someone we still have a very positive outlook for. We look at each Test series in isolation, and we feel Liam gives us the best balance and that spinner for this tour. We continue to be incredibly invested in Shoaib over the winter.”

Patterson‑White, who turned 28 on Sunday, has been called up on the back of strong form for Nottinghamshire and after receiving an England development contract. Last season his 42 wickets were the most by a spinner in Division One of the County Championship, and he also contributed with the bat, making three first‑class hundreds. He may have also benefitted from new coach Fleming’s links to Nottinghamshire, the county he once captained.

“Liam has got some great attributes,” said North. “There is a lot of consistency with Liam and his bowling. We feel that has really come and matured during the past two seasons at Nottinghamshire. He has the ability to hold an end, but also get into the game at the back end. We’re really excited to see Liam in that Test environment. It’s recognition of his development over the past year or so.”

The Test squad will arrive in South Africa in different groups, with some joining the Lions in late November and others after returning to the UK following their part in the three one‑dayers in Australia.

From the Test players also involved in the T20 series in Australia, white‑ball captain Harry Brook, Bethell and Cox will miss the fifth and final one‑day to travel to South Africa. For Brook, it will be the first England game he has missed since the T20 tour of Ireland last September; all‑rounder Will Jacks will captain England for the first time in his absence.

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