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The English side has kept their options open for the first Ashes Test by naming spin bowler Bashir in a squad of twelve combined with five fast bowlers

Mark Wood is declared fit and appears likely to feature versus the Aussies in Perth Stadium on Friday, with the final decision likely coming down to spinner Bashir and fast bowler Brydon Carse

Ground Situation

If England opt for an fast bowling unit - four main pacers plus multi-skilled player the captain - it would potentially be the most rapid assembly of seamers they have used in an Test against Australia in this country

On Wednesday WA wicket preparer Isaac McDonald commented to look for "fast and bouncy conditions" from the surface at the stadium, and it seems likely the English will stick to a long-standing plan of an exclusively pace attack

However the English team have also noted a dryness to the wicket, bringing the off-spinner into consideration

Slow Bowling Factors

Throughout the limited timeframe of the ground - five earlier Tests have been staged here - Australia spin bowler Nathan Lyon is the leading wicket-taker with 29

The English management have favored Shoaib, 22, as their primary spin option for more than a year and in spring he became the youngest England bowler to achieve fifty wickets in Test matches

Yet he has been absent from a competitive game after securing the concluding scalp in a dramatic victory over India in the third match at the famous ground in recently

Recent Challenges

The spinner has been recovering from a hand problem and found it difficult in the single preparation match against the development squad, recording overall statistics of two wickets for 151 runs from twenty-four overs

It also raises the prospect of Bashir participating in an Ashes Test without being attached to a county

His deal at the domestic team concluded at the conclusion of the domestic season

Probable Team

Still, an English side featuring Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, skipper Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - every one of them are able to achieve 90mph - stays the expected conclusion

The first Test commences at early morning GMT on the weekend, with instant commentary, expert analysis and real-time features available

Team Selection

Team lineup for first Ashes Test: Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Stokes (leader), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Bashir

Team Background

While a various England Ashes triumphs at domestically and internationally have been constructed around fast bowling, they have never fielded as multiple quick bowlers in the identical lineup

The team that won at home in the famous series of 2005 Ashes contained Harmison, Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's triumphant visitors to Australia in that era had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and John Snow, and the England team that succeeded in that period featured Brian Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Current Situation

In this instance - among the most highly anticipated England-Australia contests in recent memory - England are aiming to overturn an poor history - they have failed to win a five-day game in Australia since that year

Just five players of the 16-man squad have experienced a Test in the host nation, but Atkinson states that could work in England's favour

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

"There have been a lot of players who have stated they have had difficult experiences down under

"For us, we are a extremely composed, very positive squad

"No scarring

"It's exhilarating

"The entire team views it as a massive chance to create history"

Opposition News

The host team's practice session on this week was briefly delayed by the threat of lightning

The home side are expected to provide an opportunity to opener Weatherald, with new pace bowler Brendan Doggett also being included due to fitness concerns to skipper Pat Cummins and fellow seamer Hazlewood