The 2024 domestic cricket season may now be over, but through the winter months, there are still many talking points being discussed by the members and supporters writes Merv Colenutt.

One of the biggest talking points I feel at present, is whether Somerset will retain 3 spinners for the 2025 season.

Both Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir have represented England this summer with Bashir a regular in the England set up, which has not only surprised numerous Somerset supporters, but also across England.

England and Ben Stokes in particular, threw their weight behind Bashir, who was ranked as England’s no I spinner at the start of the campaign, despite the fact he was deemed not good enough to play for his county side Somerset.

However Jack Leach on his return from injury and illness to play both county cricket and also bowl in the T20 Blast, I believe saw him bowl as well as anytime in his career, he has bowled beautifully in all formats in the second half of the season.

Leach as we all have seen, can be hit out of sight and ground, but Leach never looks ruffled and just carries on with the next ball with possibly a little more variation than he has shown in the past, with a bit more turn, flight and slightly more pace aimed at the stumps.

In the recent match in Pakistan where both spinners were selected, Leach proved by far to be the pick of the two spinners, where Leach took seven wickets in the match, to Bashir’s one.

With Ben Stokes expected to resume the captaincy in the second test, no doubt the England captain will keep faith with Bashir, but for Somerset next season, will the county side keep faith with Bashir themselves with Archie Vaughan making such an impact in the second half of the season as an off spinner and very fine top order batsman.

It looks very much like the same pitch will be used for the second test in  Multan , where Pakistan scored 556 runs in their first innings and then suffered an innings defeat, so it’s highly unlikely the same amount of runs will be scored on days 6 to 10.

On that basis you would imagine both Bashir and Leach will play a big part in looking to condemn Pakistan to another defeat, they are a poor side now, having not won any of their last eleven games.

It’s an interesting scenario, especially as the pitch is more likely to take turn on day one and I feel sure Bashir’s performance will be highlighted throughout the second test

Many members and supporters are questioning whether Bashir will still be with Somerset at the start of next season, my personnel reaction is, Bashir has every chance of making strides forward, yes it was a surprise he played for England at the age of 20 and has had mixed fortunes, but he has only just turned 21 and he has so many games and  years in front of him to carry on improving.