Former England seamer Steven Finn reckons spin will “play a big part” in the third Ashes Test but can still understand why Shoaib Bashir has been left out.
England have decided to stick with spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks for Adelaide even though they have previously backed Bashir as their frontline spinner.
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England skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum felt Bashir had the attributes to succeed in Australia, mainly a high release point and the ability to extract bounce from the surface.
However, Finn said the decision to pick Jacks, who played his first Test in three years in Brisbane, was a rational one despite investing time into Bashir.
“You have to pragmatic in the situation. I don’t think you can preempt, especially on a tour like this, someone playing months or years out,” Finn told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Ashes third Test preview show.
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“I think it was anticipated Jacks would get the nod especially given his batting prowess. The management have to pick the XI they think can deliver.”
Bashir has taken 68 wickets in 19 Tests for England but only returned from a finger injury at the start of the tour and bowled expensively in matches outside the Tests.
Finn also said there was a “human element” to not selecting Bashir and suggested there was “probably more going on behind the scenes”.
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“It’s going to be 37c and a good pitch. It wouldn’t be a surprised if spin played a big part,” added Finn, who played 36 Tests and 69 one-day internationals.
“But if you throw someone into this environment and they are not quite ready we have seen how harsh it can be.”
