Patterson-White received his maiden call-up to England's Test squad as the sole specialist spinner in the 15-player group for the series in South Africa. He was given an ECB development contract last month, and has been picked over Shoaib Bashir, who began England's home summer as their incumbent spinner.

Speaking on the squad announcement, England selector Marcus North detailed why the decision was made to select Patterson-White over Bashir: “Shoaib is still a very young man. He’s someone that we still have a very positive outlook about. It’s just that we have sat down looking at each Test series in isolation, and we feel that Liam gives us that best balance as that spinner for this tour of South Africa.”

As a left-armer, Patterson-White offers a point of difference in England's bowling attack compared to their other part-time spin options – Jacob Bethell, Joe Root and Dan Lawrence. He also brings the possibility of lower-order runs, having scored his third first-class century at the back-end of the County Championship this year.

Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, Mark Butcher explained how those attributes led to Patterson-White's selection. "My feeling was, and has been, since the retirement of [Ben] Stokes, that the type of cricketer that England need is more of an Ashley Giles than a specialist ‘just bowl spin’ bowler," said Butcher. "England are always looking to try and play four quicks when they can, that is their strength, it’s not they see that as their strength, that is their strength.

"The only way a spin bowler can possibly get in there is if he bats at the lowest at eight. As well as being good enough to hold, and if things turn out in his favour or in the team’s favour in the last innings of the game, then he has the opportunity to bowl a team out. And that’s why they’ve gone for Patterson-White, he fits the bill more than anyone else."

Bashir hasn't featured for England since Stokes's retirement over the summer. Without a seam-bowler who can bat in the top six, England relied on their part-timers to make-up a spin contingent against Pakistan, while picking four quicks.

However, with the potential for spin to play a greater role in South African conditions, particularly in Cape Town, England have the option to include Patterson-White instead of one of their quicks to exploit a dry surface.

"It’s a big opportunity for him [Patterson-White] though," said Butcher. "The one thing that is unknown, and is always unknown about these guys – especially the ones who have been around for a bit – is whether or not this is an international player as opposed to someone who is very very good at county level, whether or not his skills will stand up to the extra demands of playing Test match cricket. And they will find that out on this trip."

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