“He is the real deal….”: Mark Butcher heaps praises on spinner Shoaib Bashir

London [UK], July 24 (ANI): Former England cricketer Mark Butcher heaped praise on young spinner Shoaib Bashir, who took a match-winning five-wicket haul against West Indies in the second Test, calling him “the real deal”.

A fifer from Bashir crushed the West Indies’ dream of a comeback as they were skittled out for 143 runs during a run-chase of 385 runs after a glorious fightback during the second Test at Nottingham. WI had gained a first-inning lead of 41 runs, scoring 457 in reply to England’s first-inning total of 416 runs. But the Three Lions’ commendable batting display led by Harry Brook and Joe Root helped the hosts to 425 runs, setting 385 for the visitors to win. WI could not stay alive in the series as Bashir’s spell pushed them to the backfoot and England sealed a 2-0 series win with a game to go.

Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast on Monday, Butcher was all praises for the young spinner, seeing a bright future ahead for him.

“I think so, I think he is [the real deal]. I think you could see it even in the first inning, towards the back end, when the ball was flying around a little bit more. He lost a little bit of consistency, dragged a few balls down, but I think there was enough on show,” said Butcher.

“When the pitch was flat as anything and and not turning at all, he had the control and the variety in terms of flight and whatever to be a very good bowler,” he added.

Butcher said when there was some assistance and turn on the surface during the second inning, Bashir was “bloody difficult to play because of his height, pace and bounce”.

Butcher also went on to praise skipper Ben Stokes for being a brilliant captain for Bashir to work with as he was sympathetic to him and set the right fields for him.

“He also has a brilliant captain in in Ben Stokes to work with. He is very sympathetic, I think, as a captain but also understands how to allow you to bowl good balls that do not get knocked for ones, and batters cannot just sit there and milk you and make you feel like you are not kind of having any effect at all,” said Butcher.

“He (Bashir) is able to to bowl tightly enough and his captain is able to set fields that allow his good balls not to go for runs meaning that batters then have to have a little bit of a dip at him, which they are encouraged to do because Stokes would not put the field back,” he added.

Butcher said that it is great combination of being skillful and also having an understanding captain.

The hosts wrapped up the series-clinching triumph late on the fourth day, with spinner Shoaib Bashir (5/41) claiming the third five-wicket haul of his career to help England dismiss the West Indies for 143 in pursuit of 385 for victory.

It means England now hold a 2-0 series lead in the three-match series against the West Indies and Ben Stokes’ side gets the chance to clinch a series sweep when the third and final Test commences in Birmingham on Friday.

In the second Test, the West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl first.

England delivered a fine batting performance, powered by Ollie Pope’s sixth Test ton (121 in 167 balls, with 15 fours and a six) and fine half-centuries from Ben Duckett (71 in 59 balls, with 14 fours) and skipper Ben Stokes (69 in 104 balls, with eight fours). England made 416/10 in 88.3 overs.

Alzarri Joseph (3/98) was the pick of the bowlers for WI. Jayden Seales, Kavem Hodge, Kevin Sinclair took two wickets, while Shamar Joseph got one wicket.

In their first inning, WI was struggling at 84/3, staring at yet another potential big loss.

However, Alick Athanaze (82 in 99 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and Kavem Hodge (120 in 171 balls, with 19 fours) pulled out a brilliant counter-attacking partnership of 175 runs. Later on, wicketkeeper-batter Joshua da Silva (82* in 122 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes) pulled off an impressive 71-run partnership for the tenth wicket along with Shamar Joseph (33 in 27 balls, with five fours and two sixes), which helped WI breach England’s first innings score and take a 41-run lead. WI was bundled out for 457 runs in 111.5 overs.

Chris Woakes (4/84) was the top wicket-taker for England. Young pacer Gus Atkinson and spinner Shoaib Bashir also took two wickets each, while skipper Ben Stokes and Mark Wood got one.

In their second inning, England responded to the West Indies’ fightback with vigour and loads of runs. While Ben Duckett (76 in 92 balls, with 11 fours) and Ollie Pope (51 in 67 balls, with six fours) scored fifties, Root (122) and Harry Brook (109 in 132 balls, with 13 fours) scored big centuries to take England to 425/10 in 92.2 overs, setting the West Indies a target of 385 runs to win.

Seales (4/97) was the leading wicket-taker for West Indies in the second innings, with Alzarri also getting scalps. Shamar, Sinclair and Holder got a wicket each.