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England have included uncapped Nottinghamshire left-arm finger spinner Liam Patterson-White in their squad for the upcoming three-Test series in South Africa. The tour will mark Stephen Fleming’s first series as head coach, while regular off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been moved to the England Lions squad.
Patterson-White Selected as Bashir Steps Down
Patterson-White earned his international call-up following a productive domestic season in which he took 42 wickets at an average of 25.11, the highest tally of any spinner in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship. His performances also earned him his first ECB development contract. In the previous 2025 season, he contributed 26 wickets and 540 runs across 11 appearances to help Nottinghamshire secure the Championship title, before adding 474 runs alongside his 42 wickets in 14 matches last summer.
England Men’s national selector Marcus North explained the selection decision, stating: “Liam Patterson-White’s selection comes on the back of a strong summer in the Rothesay County Championship, when he took the most wickets of any spinner in Division One with 42 at an average of 25.11 and earned his first ECB development contract.”
North also addressed Bashir’s move to the Lions squad, confirming that the coaching staff remains committed to his development despite his absence from the senior group. “He’s someone that we do still have a very positive outlook for,” North said. “We sit down looking at each Test series in isolation and we feel that Liam gives us the best balance and that spinner for this tour of South Africa. We will continue to be incredibly invested in Shoaib over the winter.”
Batting Options and Tour Absences
All-rounder Jacob Bethell returns to the squad after recovering from a knee injury that required surgery and kept him out of August and September’s 3-0 series victory over Pakistan. During Bethell’s absence, Jordan Cox batted at No. 3 and recorded a half-century in each of the three Tests at Headingley, Lord’s, and Edgbaston.
Cox’s performances leave the selection panel with options in the batting order, competing for spots alongside Bethell, Emilio Gay, and Dan Lawrence. If Gay is omitted, either Cox or Bethell could potentially open the batting with Ben Duckett. Lawrence previously featured as England’s primary spinner during the series against Pakistan following Ben Stokes’ international retirement.
Two squad members will miss parts of the tour. Fast bowler Josh Tongue is unavailable for the opening Test so he can return to the UK for the birth of his first child. All-rounder Sam Curran withdrew from selection to prioritize his wedding.
Lions Squad Reintegration and Fast-Bowling Options
Brydon Carse has been named in the England Lions red-ball squad alongside Bashir and James Rew. Carse was omitted from the senior side during the summer following an incident in Derby in August and a subsequent charge by the Cricket Regulator, which remains pending a final verdict.
North explained the decision to include Carse in the Lions group after discussions involving managing director Rob Key. “Obviously in the past few months under investigation, it’s been a time where he [Carse] has stood back and it’s been a time of reflection,” North said. “It’s obviously been a challenging time for Brydon and it’s one we probably haven’t at times felt the demands of playing international cricket and what he was dealing with was necessarily right for Brydon or us.”
North noted that Carse or another bowler from the Lions group could be called up to the main squad to cover for Tongue’s absence in the first Test. “Come that first Test, with Josh Tongue unavailable, that will leave us with 14 players and this is where I feel we’re using the Lions tour to our advantage,” North added.
Travel Schedule and Tour Itinerary
Six players from the Test squad who are not involved in the upcoming white-ball matches in Australia—Sam Cook, Gay, Lawrence, Patterson-White, Ollie Robinson, and Jamie Smith—will fly to South Africa on November 25 for a training camp in Pietermaritzburg alongside the Lions squad. Fleming will also join the group at that time.
Players participating in the Australia tour will join the squad in stages. Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Duckett, and Joe Root will depart for South Africa on December 2 following the ODI series. Harry Brook, Bethell, and Cox will fly directly to South Africa after the fourth T20 in Sydney on November 29.
England’s match schedule begins with a three-day warm-up fixture against a CSA XI at Kingsmead in Durban from December 9 to 11. The first Test starts at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on December 17, followed by the Boxing Day Test at Centurion Park from December 26 to 30. The series concludes at Newlands in Cape Town from January 3 to 7, before England play three one-day internationals in Paarl and Bloemfontein between January 10 and 15.
