Jack Leach not on England radar for Bangladesh tour, says selector Marcus North

England national selector Marcus North has indicated that left-arm spinner Jack Leach is not in the selectors' current plans for February's two-match Test tour of Bangladesh. Leach, 35, has taken 142 wickets in 39 Tests but has not featured for England since late 2024. North confirmed on the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast that England is moving in a different direction with spin bowling.

Leach's omission comes despite strong domestic form for Somerset, where he took 88 wickets across the last two County Championship seasons. England's long-term spin strategy under head coach Stephen Fleming focuses on contracted bowlers, including centrally contracted Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed, as well as development contract holders Mason Crane, James Coles, and Liam Patterson-White.