"He will always receive a warm welcome when he returns to Taunton.”
Daniel Clark Content Editor
12:36, 15 Jan 2026
Shoaib Bashir has elected to leave Somerset County Cricket Club and join Derbyshire CCC.
The 22-year-old, who joined Somerset ahead of the 2023 season, featured in 23 matches for the Club across the three formats, taking 21 wickets.
During his time with Somerset, the spinner became a regular in the England squad, playing in 19 Tests.
He joins Derbyshire from Somerset, although he is currently centrally contracted by the ECB until the end of 2026, and has committed until the end of the 2027 campaign.
Head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, said: “I’m pleased we’ve been able to bring Shoaib into our squad, he’s a current international with immense potential and we’ve worked hard to make this deal happen.
“We needed to add another spinner to our ranks, after the departure of Alex Thomson, and now we have a really exciting crop of young spinners, in Shoaib, Jack Morley and Joe Hawkins, who can all continue their development within our ranks.
“Our recruitment is all about bringing in quality players who can build on the solid foundations we laid in 2025. To be able to bring in a current England international is really exciting. He will bring great energy and experience into our dressing room, despite having so much time to still improve his game.”
Bashir added: “Derbyshire have a really exciting project going on and working with Mickey Arthur, one of the best coaches in the world, is a great opportunity for any young player.
“I’m keen to play more red ball cricket, continue my development in the white ball formats, and challenge for promotion with Derbyshire. This is an exciting move for me and I can’t wait to meet the group.”
Somerset CCC Director of Cricket, Andy Hurry has thanked Shoaib for his contribution to the Club. “Although he was offered a contract extension, Shoaib has decided that his future lies away from the Cooper Associates County Ground. We respect his decision, and everyone associated with Somerset wishes him well for the future.
“It’s been a pleasure to see him develop into an international cricketer during his time with the Club and he will always receive a warm welcome when he returns to Taunton.”