Joe Root and Jack Leach. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Jack Leach hopes to return to the England side on their Test tour to Pakistan in October. His last appearance for the Three Lions came in January during the five-match Test tour of India. He injured his left knee while fielding in the first Test and missed the remainder of the tour.
Leach has recovered and is now plying his trade in the County Championship for Somerset, where he bagged a 12-wicket haul in their most recent encounter against Durham last week. The Taunton-born was the first-choice spinner when Ben Stokes took over as England’s Test captain.
However, back and knee problems have meant that he has played just two Tests in the last 18 months. Young Shoaib Bashir has leapfrogged him in the pecking order and is playing as the lone spinner for England in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka.
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Bashir has taken three five-wicket hauls in just eight Tests but Leach believes that England will be able to accommodate two spinners in their playing XI against Pakistan.
“I totally understand the reason why Bash has been selected. I rate him really highly and think he is already a very good bowler with a lot of promise for the future. We have worked together a lot and I am very proud of him and want to see him flourish. But there is a tour to Pakistan coming up and if England need me, I am more than happy to go,” Leach was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“I would imagine they will take more than one spinner and I feel I am getting back to my best after almost a year with niggles that have taken some overcoming. You don’t always realize how hard it is to come back from injuries. Long spells like I have had against Durham certainly help in that respect. It would be nice if both Shoaib and myself could make the Pakistan tour and there is no reason why that can’t happen. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I am as determined as I ever have been to play for England,” he added.
The 33-year-old has played 35 Tests so far and has taken 126 wickets at an average of 34.40 and a strike rate of 68.17. Leach took 15 wickets during England’s 3-0 win in Pakistan in December 2022. The left-arm spinner will want to replicate the success if he gets a chance to don the whites again for his nation.
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“In the meantime, I want to do all I can to help Somerset win the Championship. We are all excited at the prospect of facing Surrey at Taunton next as one of three hugely important games. We are still right in the fight for the title, which is where we wanted to be at this stage of the season. I think the pitch against Durham suits our style of cricket. You had to be patient as a bowler, but if you kept putting the ball in the right place you were rewarded,” Leach opined.