Leach had fears over England career after omission

Spinner Jack Leach feared his international career may have been over when he was left out of the England team during the home summer.

The left-armer was overlooked in favour of Shoaib Bashir but has returned for the series in Pakistan to form a spin tandem with his Somerset team-mate.

The 33-year-old is the leading wicket-taker on either side with 14 victims going into the series decider in Rawalpindi from Thursday.

"After a long time out with injury, I felt maybe that might be it, even though I knew this tour was the other side of the summer," Leach told BBC Sport.

"At that point it was very much about me getting back to my best and enjoying my cricket, and being injury-free for a good amount of time."

Leach lost his place after being injured on the tour of India earlier this year, when Bashir emerged on the international scene.

Leach suffered a leg injury in the first Test and missed the rest of the series. That was his first Test back after sitting out the home Ashes in the summer of 2023 with a stress fracture in his back.

"If you're not able to stay fit, then other people come in and do well, and Bash certainly did that," said Leach.

"A lot of it doesn't need to be explained. I know what the situation was. It was just about me getting back to fitness. Then, from that, you take wickets and build confidence. That's what I went away and did."

The spotlight will once again be on Leach, off-spinner Bashir and possibly leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed as a third frontline slow bowler in the England XI for the third Test.

After England won a record-breaking first Test in Multan, Pakistan recycled the same pitch at the same venue and levelled the series in the second Test, with home spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan sharing all 20 wickets.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood said he wanted another turning pitch in Rawalpindi and pictures on social media emerged on Sunday of attempts to dry the surface with industrial-sized fans, heaters and windbreaks.

On Monday, the heaters and windbreaks had been removed, though the fans remained.

England are yet to train in Rawalpindi and will get their first look at the pitch on Tuesday.

"I don't know what to expect," said Leach, who has 140 wickets from his 38 Tests.

"I haven't seen anything. We'll go to training tomorrow, have a look at it. I feel quite clear about what I'm doing. That doesn't really change depending on the wicket."

When Bashir lines up for England this week it will mean he has played more Tests, 12, than the 11 other first-class matches he has played.

The 21-year-old has 38 victims for England including three five-wicket hauls, but remains Somerset's second-choice spinner behind Leach.

"We've got a really good relationship," said Leach. "Bash has got off to an amazing start. His talent is amazing. He has got such a high ceiling and he's on the way to that. That's exciting for English cricket.

"It might be different at Somerset next year. Who knows? For me it's quite a fluid thing.

"Those are things I can't control. Somerset and England are the teams I've been playing for. If they want to pick me, then I'll give everything for them. That's all I want to focus on."