🔗 Share this article

England have maintained flexibility for the series opener by selecting off-spinner the young spinner in a twelve-player team combined with five fast bowlers

Mark Wood has recovered and appears likely to feature facing the hosts in Perth Stadium on the weekend, with the ultimate choice probably coming down to the young spinner and seamer the seamer

Wicket Factors

If the visitors select an fast bowling unit - four main pacers along with all-rounder the captain - it would arguably be the fastest group of pacemen they have deployed in an Ashes Test in the host nation

Recently local pitch curator Isaac McDonald commented to anticipate "speed and bounce" from the wicket at the venue, and it seems likely the tourists will follow a established strategy of an exclusively pace attack

But the tourists have also observed a arid quality to the surface, putting Bashir into contention

Spinning Options

Throughout the limited timeframe of this venue - five prior matches have been staged here - Australian off-spinner the experienced spinner is the most successful bowler with 29

England have supported Shoaib, twenty-two, as their primary spin option for over twelve months and in spring he achieved the youngest England bowler to reach half-century of wickets in Tests

Yet he has missed a first-class game since claiming the last dismissal in a exciting triumph over India in the third Test at the famous ground in recently

Current Concerns

He has been suffering from a finger injury and had challenges in England's only warm-up match against England Lions, posting match figures of two wickets for 151 runs from twenty-four overs

This presents the scenario of him participating in an Ashes match without being affiliated with a county

His deal at the domestic team ended at the finish of the English season

Probable Team

Still, an England team including Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, leader Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are capable of reaching 90 miles per hour - stays the most likely outcome

The initial game starts at early morning GMT on Friday, with live text coverage, specialist radio coverage and live action clips provided

England Squad

Selected players for series opener: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Root, Harry Brook, Stokes (skipper), Jamie Smith (gloveman), Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Past Experience

While a number of English Ashes victories at in England and overseas have been built on pace, they have not previously selected as numerous fast bowlers in the equivalent side

The lineup that triumphed at in England in the celebrated contest of 2005 Ashes contained Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's successful touring team to the host nation in those years had Willis, Lever and Snow, and the English side that triumphed in those seasons included Brian Statham and Tyson

Present Circumstances

On this occasion - potentially the most exciting England-Australia contests in modern times - the visitors are aiming to change an difficult past - they have been unable to secure a Test match in Australia since over a decade ago

Only five members of the extended squad have played a international Test in Australia, but the bowler states that could benefit the English team

"It could be an benefit," he explained to reporters

"We've seen a numerous athletes who have stated they have had difficult experiences in this country

"For us, we are a very relaxed, highly optimistic group

"No scarring

"It's exhilarating

"We all see it as a massive chance to achieve something remarkable"

Opposition News

Australia's practice session on Wednesday was momentarily paused by the threat of lightning

Australia are likely to hand a first cap to batsman Weatherald, with yet to debut seamer Doggett also being included after fitness concerns to skipper Pat Cummins and teammate Josh Hazlewood