🔗 Share this article

England have kept their options open for the first Ashes Test by naming off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a twelve-player team combined with five fast bowlers

The fast bowler has recovered and seems set to play facing the hosts in Western Australia on the coming Friday, with the final decision possibly coming down to spinner Bashir and seamer Carse

Wicket Factors

If the visitors select an fast bowling unit - four main pacers plus multi-skilled player Stokes - it would possibly be the fastest group of pacemen they have deployed in an Test against Australia in the host nation

On Wednesday WA wicket preparer Isaac McDonald commented to anticipate "fast and bouncy conditions" from the surface at Perth Stadium, and it appears probable the English will adhere to a long-standing plan of an exclusively pace attack

Yet the English team have also spotted a dryness to the wicket, placing the spinner into contention

Slow Bowling Factors

Throughout the limited timeframe of the ground - five earlier Tests have been played here - Australia spin bowler Lyon is the most successful bowler with twenty-nine

The English management have backed the young spinner, 22, as their primary spin option for since last year and in spring he achieved the least experienced English bowler to achieve half-century of wickets in international Tests

Yet he has not played a competitive game since taking the last dismissal in a thrilling win over the Indian team in the final Test at the famous ground in summer

Recent Issues

Bashir has been recovering from a hand problem and struggled in the sole practice game against England Lions, recording match figures of two wickets for 151 runs from his bowling spell

This creates the prospect of the spinner participating in an Test against Australia without being affiliated with a first-class side

His deal at Somerset expired at the conclusion of the domestic season

Probable Team

However, an England team including Wood, Archer, Atkinson, leader Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are likely to hit 90 miles per hour - stays the probable result

The first Test starts at early morning GMT on Friday, with instant commentary, Test Match Special commentary and live action clips provided

Playing Group

Team lineup for series opener: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Root, Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Archer, Bashir

Team Background

Even though a number of successful Ashes campaigns at home and abroad have been built on pace, they have never fielded as numerous fast bowlers in the same team

The side that triumphed at domestically in the memorable competition of 2005 Ashes contained Harmison, Simon Jones and Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's successful touring team to the host nation in those years had Willis, Peter Lever and John Snow, and the England team that succeeded in that period featured Brian Statham and Tyson

Modern Context

This time around - among the most highly anticipated England-Australia contests in recent years - England are aiming to reverse an poor history - they have been unable to secure a five-day game in the host country since that year

Merely five individuals of the sixteen-player group have played a Test match in Australia, but Atkinson says that could work in England's favour

"This might be an positive," he told reporters

"We've seen a numerous athletes who have said they have had some tough times in this country

"Regarding our team, we are a extremely composed, very positive team

"No bad memories

"It's thrilling

"The entire team views it as a huge opportunity to do something special"

Opposition News

The host team's practice session on this week was briefly delayed by the possibility of bad weather

Australia are expected to provide an opportunity to opener Weatherald, with yet to debut fast bowler Doggett also joining following health issues to captain Pat Cummins and fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood