Jack Leach not on ECB's plans for Bangladesh Test tour | PC- AFPEngland are scheduled to tour Bangladesh for two Test matches next February, and the ECB has already begun preparations with nearly five months to go. Left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who was once the leading spinner in England, is also not considered for the series in the subcontinent.For their next Test assignments, England are slated to tour South Africa later this year before taking on the Bangladeshi challenge. Meanwhile, the schedule and venue for the BAN vs ENG Tests haven’t been confirmed by the Bangladesh board yet. ECB not considering Jack Leach for Bangladesh Test tourWhile discussing the upcoming tour of Bangladesh, where spinners will play a major role, national selector Marcus North hinted that Jack Leach is unlikely to be considered. “We've seen him (Jack Leach) at international level with England. He continues to do exceptionally well at Somerset," North told on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast. North, furthermore, stated that the ECB is looking towards the annual contracted and development contracted players for the WTC 2025/27 cycle. ALSO READEngland White-Ball Squads For Australia Tour Announced, Jacob Bethell ReturnsNotably, Rehan Ahmed, Shoaib Bashir, Adil Rashid (white-ball specialist) and Will Jacks are the only spinning options in the central contracts, while Mason Crane and Liam Patterson-White are on development contracts. "But as it stands now, those selections around the development contracts and the central contract list show that we're focusing on a slightly different direction."Despite County heroics, Jack Leach facing axing from EnglandJack Leach has played 39 Test matches for England, racking up 142 wickets, including five five-wicket hauls and a legendary ten-for. However, he has been out of favour since October 2024, as the team management has been considering right-arm off-spinner Shoaib Bashir as the lead spinner, while the all-rounder Will Jacks also contributes with his off-spin bowling. Meanwhile, the 35-year-old Leach has been an outperformer in the English domestic circuit for Somerset, picking up 81 wickets in the last County Championship seasons. By the looks of it, the Bangladesh tour seems to be the last straw for Leach’s comeback.ALSO READShreyas Iyer Jumps In ICC T20I Rankings, Enters Top 4
