كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير حقيقة ما تردد خلال الساعات الماضية بشأن تلقّي لاعب الأهلي إمام عاشور عرضًا من الدوري الأمريكي، وموضحًا موقف اللاعب داخل الفريق في المرحلة الحالية.
وقال شوبير في برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الأحد: “سألت عن موضوع إمام عاشور والعرض الأمريكي وما يُقال حوله، وقيل لي: لم نسمع شيئًا من هذا الكلام على الإطلاق، أؤكد أن آدم وطني نفى وصول أي عرض”.
وأضاف: “على العكس تمامًا، إمام بدأ يعود بشكل جيد جدًا، والأمور أصبحت جيدة بالنسبة له بنسبة 100%، واللاعب سعيد للغاية بمشاركته التدريجية في المباريات، سواء عشر دقائق أو ربع ساعة، حتى يستعيد فورمته ومستواه”.
طالع أيضًا | عمرو السولية يعترف: استخدمت “كوبري” من أجل الأهلي.. ولست نادمًا على واقعة الميدالية
وتابع: “إمام لاعب رائع ولا غنى عنه، والجميع في النادي سعداء به، والجهاز الفني كذلك سعيد بأدائه وبالتزامه”.
واختتم: “إمام لم يتحدث في أي شيء خاص بالرحيل، وكل اهتمامه الأول والأخير هو استعادة مستواه بالكامل، وأي شخص يقول إن إمام تلقّى عرضًا الآن.. قُل له إن الأهلي نفى ذلك تمامًا، قد يأتي عرض لاحقًا، الله أعلم، لكن هذا هو الموقف الحالي”.
NEW YORK — The 2025 New York Yankees died as they lived: disappearing for a stretch, then—long after it really mattered—staging a furious comeback attempt that ultimately fell short.
Add Aaron Judge’s thrilling, game-tying, season-saving American League division series Game 3 home run to the Endy Chávez catch file: It would have been one of the greatest of all time if only the team had gone anywhere. Instead, after a listless 5–2 loss in Game 4, the only place the Yankees are going is home.
Over the past five days, they disappointed in all areas of the game. They were out-hit, out-pitched, out-defended. It was the most pitiful effort by a group of New Yorkers since Eric Adams’s re-election campaign.
“They beat us this series,” said manager Aaron Boone. “Simple as that.”
Start with the pitching. The Blue Jays certainly did, scoring first in all four games. Only in Game 2 did it take them more than two outs to plate their first run—and then it took three. The Yankees’ starters, whose 3.61 regular season ERA was fourth in baseball, combined to allow 19 runs in 14 ⅓ innings. Only rookie Cam Schlittler, who threw 6 ⅓ innings of four-run ball in Game 4, got an out in the fourth inning. The beleaguered bullpen mostly kept the score where it was, but converted starter Will Warren allowed six runs in 4 ⅔ innings, and erstwhile closer Luke Weaver, after lowering his October 2025 ERA from infinity to 135.00, acknowledged he felt he was tipping pitches and said, “I don’t feel like my mind is completely clear to go out there and attack.”
Still, the Yankees are built to out-slug anyone, and they simply did not. In Game 1, they scored one run; in Game 2, they put up seven, but only after Toronto had scored 12. On Wednesday, facing a bullpen game—against a relief corps that threw 6 ⅓ innings a day before, and that had shown every arm to the Yankees during the series—the lineup that scored the most runs in the majors this season went 1-for-6 with a walk with runners in scoring position. Not until the seventh inning, down 4–1, did a runner stand at second base. The only runs came when glove-first third baseman Ryan McMahon homered in the third and Judge singled in a run in the ninth.
Aaron Judge hit .500 during these playoffs, but it wasn’t enough to bring the Yankees beyond the ALDS. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
And then there was the defense, an issue that plagued them all season. This year they forgot how many strikes there were (Jasson Domínguez got himself thrown out at third base to end the seventh inning of a two-run game against the Red Sox in June when he thought the hitter faced a 2–2 count), how many outs there were (Austin Wells was doubled off second to end the ninth inning of a tie game against the Rays in July when he thought the frame was already over), even how many feet there were between bases (Jorbit Vívas got thrown out at third base without sliding to end the third inning of a three-run game against Atlanta in July).
Shortstop Anthony Volpe and Domínguez each threw to the wrong base in the ninth inning of a one-run game against the Red Sox in August; a day later, a Volpe throwing error helped open the door to a seven-run ninth. At one point in late April and early May, Volpe made errors in three straight games. Over a two-week stretch in August, he had more errors (two) than hits (one).
They cleaned up elements of their game after trading for McMahon at the deadline, but the flexor strain that cost Judge 10 days this summer continued to dog him as opponents tested his arm every time they hit the ball to right field. And the mental and physical mistakes continued: In Game 3, second baseman Jazz Chisholm failed to look home on a relay and allowed a run to score, and then in Game 4, he misplayed a double-play ball into runners on the corners. Two batters later, they both scored to make it 4–1. “I’m still going to be thinking about this even probably when the season starts next year,” he lamented.
Still, it was the offense that let the Yankees down when it mattered most. Try as fans might, it will be hard to blame Judge for this one: He went 13-for-26 this October. He had only one home run, but it was certainly a memorable one.
“It comes down to the little things,” said Judge. “Making little plays, coming up with the big hit. If you don’t do that, you give teams extra outs, they’re gonna capitalize. … We gotta clean a couple things up.”
The Yankees entered this season the same way they did last season: trying to make the lineup more athletic and less righthanded, and bolstering the pitching staff. When they lost the Juan Soto sweepstakes to Steve Cohen and the Mets, the Yankees pivoted to trading for Cody Bellinger, a lefty hitter who is one of the premier defenders in the sport, and signing stud lefty Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract. They traded for reliever Devin Williams, who had been one of the best in the sport. At the deadline they picked up the lefthanded McMahon, who has been a revelation in the field, and added relievers David Bednar, Jake Bird and Camilo Doval, who—like Williams, like the team itself—were uneven. The Yankees led the division by seven games in late May, played sub-.500 ball for two months, then charged back in August and September. They were 6 ½ games back of the Blue Jays on Aug. 23. They finished the season tied at 94–68—but because Toronto had won the season series 7–5, the Blue Jays took the first seed, home field advantage and the first-round bye.
“It comes down to a lot of games that we lost that we shouldn’t have lost,” said Judge. “Every game matters.”
Still, they felt they were rolling entering October. On more than one occasion Boone called this the most talented team he had managed. It wasn’t enough.
“That’s the thing,” said Bellinger glumly. “It didn’t feel like anything was missing.”
Boone said, “It’s hard to win the World Series. Been chasing it all my life.”
And so begins another offseason of questions. The core remains mostly intact: Only first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Grisham, Weaver and Williams will be free agents, and Bellinger can opt out of his contract and join them. But everyone who remains will be another year older, and ace Gerrit Cole and righty Clarke Schmidt are returning from Tommy John surgery. Righty Luis Gil took a step backward this season, as did Volpe and Wells.
The Yankees will surely add more talent. It might not be enough.
O Corinthians fechou um contrato de permuta com a Gazin, indústria de colchões do Paraná, até o final de 2024.
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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!
O Corinthians aceitou ceder um camarote para 12 pessoas na Neo Química Arena, além de espaço nas costas da camisa de treino e uma placa de publicidade no CT Joaquim Grava.. A Gazin irá entregar ao Timão 64 “camas box” e 64 colchões, que serão usados para melhorar a estrutura do hotel do clube no CT. A informação é da Gazeta Esportiva.
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➡️ Siga o Lance! Corinthians no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Timão
Segundo consta no contrato assinado entre as partes, o valor de mercado dos produtos, somados, é de R$ 104,3 mil, menos de 25% do que a nova diretoria do Timão tem cobrado por um camarote na Neo Química Arena – cerca de R$ 420 mil por temporada.
O acordo foi costurado por Sérgio Moura, superintendente de marketing do Corinthians, e é uma tentativa de elevar o valor do uniforme da equipe de futebol masculina. Após vencer as eleições, Augusto Melo prometeu que a camisa do Timão valeria mais de R$ 200 milhões.
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➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão
Até o momento, o Corinthians tem quatro espaços vagos no uniforme: a barra fontal, a barra traseira, a omoplata e o meião.
O Bahia recebe o Vitória nesta quarta-feira (20), pela sexta rodada da fase de grupos da Copa do Nordeste. A bola rola a partir das 21h30 (de Brasília), na Arena Fonte Nova, com transmissão do SBT, DAZN e canal Nosso Futebol.
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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte
✅FICHA TÉCNICA Bahia x Vitória 6ª rodada da fase de grupos da Copa do Nordeste
Data e horário: quarta-feira, 20 de março de 2024, às 21h30 (de Brasília) Local: Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador (BA) Onde assistir: SBT, DAZN e canal Nosso Futebol
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
BAHIA Marcos Felipe, Gilberto, Kanu, Victor Cuesta e Luciano Juba (Rezende); Caio Alexandre, Jean Lucas, Cauly e Everton Ribeiro; Thaciano e Everaldo. Técnico: Rogério Ceni.
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VITÓRIA Lucas Arcanjo, Zeca, Camutanga, Wagner Leonardo e Patric Calmon; Willian Oliveira, Rodrigo Andrade e Matheusinho; Osvaldo, Mateus Gonçalves e Alerrandro. Técnico: Léo Condé
Tudo sobre
BahiaCopa do NordesteFutebol NacionalOnde assistirVitória
A Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF) determinou que a Gaviões da Fiel, principal torcida organizada do Corinthians, fique impedida de participar de competições sob sua responsabilidade até o final de 2026.
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A medida, formalizada em portaria assinada pelo vice-presidente Mauro Silva, atende a uma orientação do Ministério Público de São Paulo, por meio do Juizado Especial Criminal da Capital.
O MP recomendou a suspensão após apontar preocupações relacionadas à segurança nos eventos esportivos. Com isso, além da proibição de ingresso dos integrantes, também ficam vetados quaisquer itens que remetam ao grupo, como bandeiras, faixas, roupas ou outros materiais identificadores.
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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians
A FPF comunicará os órgãos de segurança públicos e o Ministério Público de São Paulo para que fiscalizem o cumprimento da determinação. A entidade máxima do futebol paulista ainda informou que a portaria passa a valer imediatamente, e todas as normas anteriores que contrariem a nova decisão deixam de ter efeito.
Em nota oficial, a Gaviões da Fiel informou que seu departamento jurídico já foi acionado após a divulgação da portaria da FPF. A torcida organizada declarou que está ciente do comunicado e que irá se manifestar publicamente no momento que considerar adequado.
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— Em relação ao comunicado, o departamento jurídico do Gaviões já tomou conhecimento e, no momento oportuno, iremos nos manifestar — disse.
Veja abaixo a nota completa da FPF
PORTARIA FPF – Nº 214 DE 10 DE DEZEMBRO DE 2025.
MAURO SILVA, Vice-Presidente da Federação Paulista de Futebol, no uso das atribuições legais e regimentais.
CONSIDERANDO os termos do Ofício JECRIM nº 077/2025, datado de 10 de dezembro de 2025, expedido pelo Ministério Público do Estado de São Paulo – Juizado Especial Criminal da Capital, por meio do qual o Ilustre 1º Promotor de Justiça da Promotoria do Juizado Especial Criminal Central recomenda a proibição da presença da seguinte Torcida Organizada: “GAVIÕES DA FIEL”, em todas as praças desportivas, até o final do ano de 2026.
CONSIDERANDO que é dever desta Entidade preservar a disciplina nos campos de futebol.
INFORMA:
Atender integralmente a recomendação do Ministério Público do Estado de São Paulo, para que seja PROIBIDA a entrada, nos estádios de futebol, de qualquer indumentária e objetos (faixas, bandeiras etc.) que identifiquem os associados da torcida organizada: “GAVIÕES DA FIEL”, do Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, a contar desta data, até o final do ano de 2026.
A Federação Paulista de Futebol oficiará aos Órgãos de Segurança do Estado, Ministério Público do Estado de São Paulo, para fins de fiscalização no cumprimento desta Portaria. Esta Portaria entra em vigor na presente data, revogadas as disposições em contrário.
The New York Yankees' recent struggles hit another new low on Saturday when they dropped to third place in the AL East after a second straight loss to the Miami Marlins.
Aaron Boone's team has been making too many errors and some costly mental mistakes lately, which have been not been sitting well with the team's fanbase.
The team's play also hasn't impressed two of the its former legends. Derek Jeter broke down their struggles on Saturday, saying: "They make way too many mistakes. Way too many mistakes."
Alex Rodriguez also weighed on on the team's struggles, and he painted a pretty bleak picture for their future.
“You can’t make this up,” Rodriguez said on the MLB on Fox studio show. “I mean, look, you can bring in nine relievers, it’s not going to make a difference. I don’t care if you bring back their ’98 bullpen with Mariano [Rivera], Mike Stanton, and Jeff Nelson, if your pitchers are going 3⅓, 4⅓, it’s not going to work.”
He added: “Here is my biggest concern—You bring in seven guys and you’re still miles away from winning a world title. … You’ve got to restructure this roster. I like a lot of the players individually but together it just doesn’t work.”
The Yankees are 4-6 in their last 10 games and on Sunday they'll try to avoid being swept by the Marlins in their three game series in Miami.
With the playoff push in full swing, the Yankees need to clean up a lot of issues if they want to be serious contenders come October.
The Chicago Cubs gave team president Jed Hoyer a multi-year extension on Monday, just days before MLB's trade deadline, Marquee Network's Taylor McGregor reported.
Hoyer's five-year deal as the Cubs' president would've expired after the 2025 season. He took over the role from Theo Epstein in 2020. Hoyer previously was the team's general manager from 2011-20.
Hoyer and Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts both released statements shortly after the news dropped.
The Cubs are tied for the second-best record in MLB right now with a 62-43 record, sitting just one game back from the league-leading Mets. Chicago is tied with the Brewers for second place, and the two NL Central teams happen to begin a three-game series against each other on Monday. There will be some shake-up in the standings based on who wins those matchups.
Hoyer's extension was the Cubs' first big move ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday. The team is expected to make some moves this week, so we'll see what Hoyer and the rest of the organization agrees on. Here's some possible options for the Cubs to sign.
تحدث لاعب منتخب مصر السابق، أحمد المحمدي، عن أزمة محمد صلاح في ليفربول ورد فعل إدارة النادي والمدرب الهولندي آرني سلوت.
واستبعد سلوت لاعبه محمد صلاح من قائمة ليفربول للمباراة أمام إنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا، وذلك بعد تصريحات المصري مؤخرًا.
كان صلاح انتقد قرار سلوت بتواجده بديلاً لثلاث مباريات متتالية في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وأعرب عن شعوره بأن هناك شخص ما يدفعه لمغادرة ليفربول.
وقال المحمدي في تصريحاته بشبكة “بي إن سبورتس”: “رد فعل متوقع من سلوت وإدارة ليفربول علي تصريحات صلاح”.
وأضاف: “تصريحات سلوت متناقضة تمامًا، هو يقول لا توجد مشاكل، لكن الحقيقة المشاكل بدأت منذ المباراة أمام وست هام، حيث تواجد محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء، وصرح المدرب بعد المباراة بأنه يحاول القيام بمداورة ومنح راحة لبعض اللاعبين لكثرة المباريات”.
اقرأ أيضًا | حاتم الطرابلسي: الإعلام الأوروبي لا يتعامل مع محمد صلاح باحترام.. وسلوت أساء له
وأشار المحمدي: “منح الراحة للاعب يكون في مباراة واحدة وليس 3 مبارايات متتالية، أفضل لاعب في ليفربول خلال آخر 7 أو 8 مواسم يتواجد بديلاً بقرارك فهذا يعني أن هناك مشكلة”.
وأتم: “الميزة أن محمد صلاح سيذهب لمنتخب مصر للمشاركة في كأس الأمم الإفريقية، وسيبعد عن ليفربول، فممكن أن تهدأ إلى حد ما، لكن أنا من وجه نظري بعد تصريحاته، علاقة محمد صلاح بليفربول انتهت”.
The Mumbai allrounder lifted his team from 47 for 7 and then took a wicket during an economical spell
S Sudarshanan23-Jan-2025They came to watch Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. They ended up cheering for Shardul Thakur.Around 200 spectators had gathered at the Sharad Pawar Academy in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai, but only a little more than half had got in by the time Jaiswal and Rohit, who was playing his first Ranji Trophy game in nearly a decade, were dismissed early on Thursday morning. The home side needed at least one outright victory from their remaining two league games to qualify for the knockout round, but here they were tottering at 47 for 7 an hour and a half into the first morning against Jammu and Kashmir.It was time for Thakur’s first act: 51 off 57 balls at No. 8, and a partnership of 63 with Tanush Kotian for the ninth wicket, to drag Mumbai past 100 in tough conditions.The J&K quicks Umar Nazir Mir and Yudhvir Singh swung the ball viciously, hitting the right lines and lengths to challenge both edges of Thakur’s bat. He survived two lbw appeals in quick succession, but when a semblance of width was on offer, Thakur attacked. Thakur has fought these battles in more high-profile arenas; three of his four half-centuries in Test cricket came when India were in trouble. One of them was India’s second-fastest fifty at the time.Related
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Thakur pulled Yudhvir over midwicket to move to 49 before carving to deep point to complete a 51-ball fifty. The small crowd was delighted; several employees from nearby offices stood along the railings enjoying a lunch break well spent. Thakur finally holed out to long-on – Mumbai all out for 120 – and shook his head in disappointment all the way back to his team-mates.”I like batting in difficult situations,” Thakur said after stumps. “In easy situations, everyone does well, but how you put up the show in adverse situations matters. I see tough situations as a challenge and always think about how to overcome that challenge.”Thakur wasn’t done, though, and came out for a second act. He took the new ball and had a close appeal for lbw turned down against Shubham Khajuria in the opening over. In his second over, Thakur found Khajuria’s outside edge but Shreyas Iyer failed to hold the catch diving to his right at second slip. His only wicket – Abdul Samad caught behind – was an important one as it broke a 58-run stand for the third wicketThakur helped limit J&K’s lead to 54 runs with only three wickets in hand at the end of day one. He was Mumbai’s most economical bowler, conceding 29 in 13 overs, which was a big change from his recent performances in the two domestic white-ball tournaments.In the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was Mumbai’s most expensive bowler (also their highest wicket-taker), and he went for more than six an over in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy. And before all that, Thakur had found no buyers at the IPL auction in November and will not be part of the 2025 season.”You have to forget whatever has happened in the past; it is not going to change,” he said of those events. “It is important to be in the present and think about what you can do in the near future.”If you see the domestic T20 or one-day tournaments, most teams winning the toss won the match. Games started at 9am, there was out-and-out help for fast bowlers for 20 overs. We lost the toss against two good teams [ Karnataka and Punjab] and the pitch becomes flat after lunch. They were tracks you can hit on from ball one.”In such cases, you can’t judge bowlers. On those surfaces any top bowler get hit; take any top bowler, he will get hit. The pitches were made such that 300-350 were easily being scored, bowlers were going at an economy of six to six-and-a-half runs per over. You do not need to take those performances to heart, I think. There are ups and downs in cricket and it is important to be in the present and think about how you can do better in the near future.”The near future, for Thakur and Mumbai, is to fight back in this crucial Ranji Trophy fixture against J&K. That they aren’t out of it already is down to Thakur, and not his more high-profile team-mates.
England spinner knows he’s not the finished article but Lions tour of Australia could be a major step in his development
Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Jan-2025The last time Shoaib Bashir was in Australia, he was turning out for Lindfield Cricket Club in the Sydney suburbs during the 2022-23 season.Two years on, he is back with the Lions as England’s first-choice spinner, embarking on a fact-finding mission ahead of next winter’s Ashes. For those familiar with Sydney’s cricket system, that alone gives an indication of Bashir’s remarkable rise.Lindfield play in the Shires Competition, which runs parallel to Sydney’s more vaunted Grade Competition. The club’s own website states that Shires First Grade “is equivalent in standard to play conducted in SCA Second Grade Cricket”. As such, there was great pride at Bashir’s ascension to Test cricket a year later. Three of his Lindfield clubmates hot-footed it to Visakhapatnam to witness his debut against India.The Lions tour culminates in Sydney with a four-day unofficial Test against Australia A, and Bashir intends to drop in to see a few old friends. “I will try and try and get down there, give the boys a bit of a surprise” he tells ESPNcricinfo from Brisbane, where the squad are based for their first two matches against a Cricket Australia XI. His fondness for the club remains strong. Even for the borrowed Saab that occasionally left him in the lurch.”There was a club car that I had and I reckon it broke down on me about five times.”One particular time, I was driving on like a dual carriageway and [the car] slowed down and down, with cars behind me and everything – it was just a nightmare. But it was good times, good memories.”It is fair to say 2024 featured no such hindrance. Bashir sat exclusively in the fast lane as he notched 15 Test caps across the year, with 49 wickets – more than any other spinner in the world – including three five-wicket hauls. He overtook Somerset team-mate Jack Leach as England’s primary spinner, despite the county plumping for the left-armer as their No.1, and clocked a staggering 524.3 overs at the top level in what was essentially his second full year as a professional. All of this emanated from a social media clip that piqued the interest of Test captain Ben Stokes.Bashir featured in four of England’s five Tests in India•BCCI”It has been pretty surreal,” says Bashir. “Obviously I’m very, very grateful for what happened.”There was not much time to dissect it all. He spent barely 10 days at home over the Christmas period between returning from New Zealand (his fifth series in 11 months) and heading back across the globe on January 3. But there was enough room for reflection.”I did go through a few memories in the old book – looking back to my cap presentation (from Leach) and that video of me getting Rohit Sharma out as my first wicket (caught around the corner at leg slip) was a massive highlight. I’ve watched that many times.”Taking my first five-for (5 for 119 in his second appearance at Ranchi). Every series, every game, every innings. Playing Test cricket for England, it doesn’t get any better than that. That’s one thing I try and remind myself is that I’m playing for England, so just enjoy every moment, you know?”Related
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'To get Rohit as my first wicket was very, very special' – Shoaib Bashir
Shoaib Bashir 'let emotions fall out' after shock England call-up
That enjoyment has been abundantly clear in this first stanza of Bashir’s international career. So, too, the talent England are investing in and the rawness of a spinner learning on the front line.Bowling England to victory with 5 for 41 against West Indies – the first spinner in 18 years to take as many at Trent Bridge – along with four on day one of the first Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval were nods to the former. Cues to the latter, such as a lack of control and no apparent go-to stock ball have been littered throughout. They were particularly apparent in series at home to Sri Lanka (six dismissals at 49.33) and away in Pakistan (nine at 49.55 despite spin-friendly conditions for the final two matches).The culmination of the Crowe-Thrope trophy was similarly difficult, albeit in seaming conditions. After 4 for 69 from 20 overs on the opening day of the series, he was 4 for 345 from 67 overs for the remainder.Head coach Brendon McCullum made a note of lauding the 21-year-old as a “tough kid” during his post-tour media briefing, ceding “the statistical element, it doesn’t read great”. Both he and Stokes have pushed Bashir to see beyond the stats. They will be buoyed to hear his current average of 40.16 does not bother him.”To be honest, not really,” he says when asked if that number jars. “I feel like stats played a huge part when I was growing up, and that was how you are selected. But it’s seen differently within this team.” Spoken like a player who earned his first call-up despite averaging 67 from just six first-class games.Bashir has leapfrogged Jack Leach as England’s first-choice spinner•Getty Images”I’m 21 years old, right? I’m still learning. I’ve only played professional cricket for about, what, two or three years? It’s just a work in progress.”Yet the motivation to lower that number is clear. Work around game-time – even ahead of a day’s play – has been a prominent feature of his time as a Test cricketer. Over the coming weeks, the guidance of England assistant coach Jeetan Patel will be replaced by Graeme Swann, reprising a relationship struck up on a previous Lions camp in 2023 which rubber-stamped that maiden call-up for the India tour.Bashir appreciates the need to hone his skills quickly, particularly an ability to hold up an end given England do not tour Asia again until their visit to Bangladesh in February 2027. Maintaining a threat while stemming the run flow, to allow the quicks a chance to catch their breath, is now top of the agenda. It is a trait spinners groove with experience.”I think it’s something I’ve got better at and am still working on,” he says of the job.”I’m still looking to take wickets, but that might be in the form of caught, caught at midwicket or caught at mid on instead of bowled through the gate. It’s like a game of chess, just trying to figure out what the batsman wants and shut down his options.”
“I’m that sort of guy who takes things day-by-day and tries not to worry too much about what the future holds. If it’s written, it’s written.”
Though India await for the home summer after a one-off Test with Zimbabwe, it is not lost on Bashir that being in Australia puts the focus on how he might fare in the Ashes. Even if he will not experience any of the five Test venues on this trip.When McCullum approached Bashir with the idea of touring with the Lions, he saw it as a no-brainer, agreeing “straightaway”. He already has some loose notes on what spin bowling in Australia entails.Bashir watched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with interest, initially via YouTube highlights given the start of that series ran parallel with the New Zealand tour. Nathan Lyon’s subdued role was registered, along with his own experience with the Kookaburra ball this winter.”Nathan Lyon didn’t bowl that much, but it was nice to gauge what it’s like to bowl spin out there. [Now] I’m out here playing, playing cricket as well, I just think I’m going try and find a method of bowling in the first and second innings.”I feel like the ball [Kookaburra] wears away quite quickly. We bowled with it in Pakistan and New Zealand, but I do enjoy it. I feel like when it’s harder, it’s quite easy to go over the top.”I’ve already noticed that I get a lot more bounce out here than I do anywhere else, which could play a massive factor.”Ben Stokes’ faith in Bashir has been a key factor in his rise•Getty ImagesThat ability to impart over-spin from a high release point is why Bashir was plucked from relative obscurity. Coming into a new year, the resilience the England management have seen in him so far reinforces the belief they are backing the right horse.Australia has chewed up and spat out many an English fingerspinner. Leach managed just six dismissals at 53.50 here in 2021-22, Moeen Ali just five at a grim 115.00 in 2017-18. Even Swann, one of England’s greatest, averaged 52.59 across eight appearances Down Under. Bashir, however, does not even consider the prospect he might be added to that list.”I’m that sort of guy who takes things day-by-day and tries not to worry too much about what the future holds. If it’s written, it’s written.”Even the most creative mind would have found Bashir’s 2024 too far-fetched to write – an England Test team throwing the ball to a novice spinner and letting him keep it no matter what. Now the first year of his Test career has closed, the pen is in Bashir’s hand to script an even more remarkable chapter in 2025.