Nathan Lyon Says Jack Leach Still England’s Best Spinner Ahead of Ashes; Calls Bashir “Okay”

Australia’s veteran offspinner Nathan Lyon has downplayed the hype surrounding England's current first-choice spinner Shoaib Bashir, stating that Jack Leach remains the best spin option for England ahead of the 2025–26 Ashes.

Speaking at a Cricket Australia sponsorship event in Sydney, Lyon commented on England’s spin attack and reflected on conversations with former England pacer James Anderson, who he played alongside at Lancashire.

“I played with Jimmy Anderson last year at Lancashire, and they said they’re picking [Shoaib] Bashir to do what I do,” Lyon said. “So I took a little pride in that, knowing Jimmy respected what I’ve been able to do in my career. But Bashir has been okay.”

Lyon, Australia’s all-time leading Test spinner, believes Leach still holds the edge despite Bashir being England's preferred spinner over the last three Test series — against New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and India.

Leach, 34, hasn’t played for England since the 2022–23 tour of Pakistan, where he took 16 wickets at 31.43 — a performance Lyon noted as more effective than Bashir’s nine wickets at an average of 49.55 in the same number of matches.

“Jacob Bethell is playing this Test match [against India at The Oval], and looks to be taking over spin duties from Liam Dawson,” Lyon said. “But in my eyes, Jack Leach is still their best spinner.”

Leach recently made headlines with figures of 6 for 63 for Somerset in a two-day County Championship match against Durham on a pitch described as "appalling" by Ian Botham. With 39 wickets at 24.76 this season, he is the leading spinner and fourth overall in the first division.

Bashir, meanwhile, remains sidelined due to a finger injury sustained during the second Test against India at Lord’s. In his absence, England fielded Liam Dawson in the fourth Test, only to drop him again for the final match, opting instead for four seamers and Bethell’s part-time spin.

Bashir toured Australia earlier this year with the England Lions, playing three unofficial Tests against CA XI and Australia A. However, he managed only four wickets across those matches, none of which were held at Test venues — a point that raises questions about his readiness for Ashes conditions.

Lyon, who was left out of Australia’s most recent Test in Jamaica — a pink-ball match where spinners were sidelined — is confident that spinners will still play a vital role in the upcoming Ashes despite recent seam-friendly conditions.

“It is a massive role, and it can be a massive challenge for people who haven’t done it before in these conditions,” Lyon said. “But I’m not going to let my secrets out so they come out and perform well here.”

He added, “Our guys know how to play spin really well in this country. That’s probably what helped me develop my skills to where they are now. I’ll keep working on getting better, and we’ll see how their spinners go.”

With the Ashes set to begin this summer in Australia, the spotlight will remain on how England manage their spin resources — and whether Bashir, Leach, or a third option can match up to Lyon’s legacy on Australian soil.

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