A classical left-arm spinner from Somerset, Jack Leach has been a consistent performer in the County circuit since 2012. However, it wasn't until 2018 that he was able to break into England's Test squad. The reason for that was the management's alleged fetish for bowlers who could also bat a bit - a dangerous method of evaluating red-ball resources. Leach couldn't be denied for long though and when he did get into the playing XI, he showed twice within a span of few months in 2019 that he isn't a mug with the willow either. First, he notched a 90-plus score on a difficult track against Ireland, having been promoted as the nightwatchman opener.

Leach's best moment ever was yet to come. In the Headingley Ashes Test, he dug in to give a rampaging Ben Stokes company, as the flamboyant all-rounder produced a sensational century to give England an unlikely win. Leach's contribution in that partnership was just a solitary run but the number of deliveries he faced under pressure were priceless. As a spinner, he doesn't boast of too many variations but has the discipline to bowl long spells with accuracy. Leach believes in keeping things simple and on pitches that do assist spin, he can be a handful with his unerring radar and tall frame that generates bounce. In a brief career so far, he has already established himself as England's premier spinner but could be more lethal if he can develop a few more variations.

Jack Leach suffered a finger injury in the first Test against India in 2024, and since then has been relegated to the fringes of English cricket. His role has been taken over by Shoaib Bashir who has become the premier spinner for the team in home Tests, with Leach only getting a chance in the sub continent when England require an auxiliary spinner.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan