Why England have called up Liam Patterson-White to Test squad to face South Africa, why it’s NOT the end of dropped Shoaib Bashir’s international career and the players feeling the heat in top-order logjam

England have named uncapped Nottinghamshire spinner Liam Patterson-White in their 15-man Test squad to face South Africa, dropping 23-year-old Shoaib Bashir. Patterson-White topped the County Championship Division One spin charts with 42 wickets last season and offers superior lower-order batting. The three-match series marks Stephen Fleming's first assignment as red-ball head coach after replacing Brendon McCullum.

Bashir has joined the England Lions squad in South Africa and remains in contention for future tours, including a February trip to Bangladesh. England also face top-order selection dilemmas as Jacob Bethell returns from injury to contest positions with Emilio Gay and Jordan Cox, while Josh Tongue and Sam Curran will miss action due to personal reasons.