Former England captain turned cricket pundit Michael Vaughan has compared the young Shoaib Bashir to veteran spinner R Ashwin. After missing out on the first Test due to visa issues, Bashir featured in the Vizag and Ranchi Tests. He accumulated 12 wickets in his two-match appearances during his first tour to India.

Vaughan is already celebrating Bashir”s achievements as he believes that England has unearthed a world-class superstar. His celebratory mood was propelled by Bashir”s eight-wicket haul in the fourth Test, including a five-wicket haul in the Ranchi Test. The 20-year-old has looked sound with his technique and temperament.

“One of the great weeks, celebrating another world-class superstar that we’ve unearthed, Shoaib Bashir. That’s what we’re celebrating. Second Test match, he eight wickets, he’s the new Ravi Ashwin, and we’ve unearthed him. So, we’re celebrating a new superstar in English cricket,” he would say on Club Prairie Fire’s YouTube channel.

Incidentally, his spin partner Tom Hartley who made his debut in the ongoing India vs England Test series has also bowled brilliantly in the spin friendly conditions. He is the leading wicket-taker in the series with 20 scalps to his name in four matches. The duo are not vastly experienced in first-class cricket.

However, they have impressed in their first ever overseas tour and could turn out to be a long-term spin bowling prospect for England. The visitors have struggled to find spin twins in red ball cricket after Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann.

“It will be a slight frustration of ours if they weren’t given opportunities at county level,” England head Brendon McCullum said. “There’s a very real possibility that might be the case, but without wanting to dictate to counties because they have their agendas as well when you see performances as we have out of those two bowlers throughout the series, I think you’d be slightly mad if you didn’t give them more opportunities in county cricket.