England call up Patterson-White and drop Bashir for South Africa Tests

England have given Nottinghamshire spinner Liam Patterson-White his first Test call-up for the tour of South Africa, leaving Shoaib Bashir out of the 15-player squad.

Bashir will instead join the England Lions’ red-ball squad, alongside Carse. National selector Marcus North said the team remained committed to Bashir, but that Patterson-White offered the best balance for this series.

The left-arm spinner took 42 wickets at an average of 25.11 in the 2026 County Championship, making him the leading spinner in Division One. His selection comes as England weigh their spin options for South Africa.

Carse has been named in both the red-ball and 50-over Lions squads. He could be called up to cover for Tongue, who will miss the opening Test to be present for the birth of his child. North said one or two Lions players would be brought into the Test group and did not rule out Carse; other fast bowlers are also in contention.

Jacob Bethell returns to the Test squad after a knee injury. Joe Root will captain England in the three-match series, which begins in Johannesburg on 17 December. The second Test starts in Centurion on 26 December, followed by the third in Cape Town on 3 January.