🔗 Share this article

England have maintained flexibility for the first Ashes Test by naming off-spinner the young spinner in a twelve-player team combined with five fast bowlers

Wood has recovered and seems set to play against Australia in Western Australia on the weekend, with the final decision possibly between off-spinner Bashir and fast bowler Carse

Pitch Conditions

If England opt for an fast bowling unit - four dedicated bowlers plus all-rounder Stokes - it would potentially be the quickest collection of bowlers they have deployed in an Ashes Test in Australia

On Wednesday Western Australia groundsman McDonald stated to anticipate "speed and bounce" from the surface at the stadium, and it looks possible the English will follow a long-standing plan of an exclusively pace attack

Yet the visitors have also observed a lack of moisture to the pitch, placing the spinner into consideration

Slow Bowling Factors

In the short history of this venue - five earlier Tests have been hosted here - Australian spin bowler Nathan Lyon is the top wicket-taker with 29

The English management have supported the young spinner, 22 years old, as their first-choice spinner for more than a year and in May he achieved the youngest England bowler to reach fifty wickets in Test matches

But he has missed a competitive game after claiming the final wicket in a exciting triumph over India in the third Test at Lord's in recently

Recent Challenges

Bashir has been recovering from a finger injury and struggled in the sole practice game against the Lions, returning combined figures of two wickets for 151 runs from his bowling spell

This creates the prospect of him playing in an Ashes Test without being contracted with a first-class side

His contract at Somerset concluded at the finish of the English season

Probable Team

Still, an English side containing Wood, Archer, Gus Atkinson, leader Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are able to achieve high speeds - stays the expected conclusion

The opening match commences at 2:20 AM GMT on Friday, with live text coverage, Test Match Special commentary and live action clips provided

Team Selection

England squad for initial Ashes match: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Stokes (leader), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Atkinson, Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Past Experience

While a several English Ashes victories at home and abroad have been founded on quick bowling, they have not previously selected as many express pace bowlers in the equivalent side

The side that triumphed at in England in the famous series of that year featured Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff

The captain's winning English side to Australia in that era had Bob Willis, Lever and Snow, and the visiting team that succeeded in 1954-55 featured Brian Statham and Tyson

Present Circumstances

In this instance - potentially the most exciting Ashes series in recent years - the English team are hoping to overturn an awful record - they have not won a Test match in Australia since over a decade ago

Just five players of the sixteen-player group have played a Test in the host nation, but the bowler comments that could benefit the English team

"It could be an benefit," he mentioned to the press

"There have been a many cricketers who have stated they have had some tough times in this country

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

"No negative experiences

"It's exhilarating

"We all see it as a huge opportunity to do something special"

Australian Preparations

The host team's practice session on recently was temporarily interrupted by the possibility of bad weather

The hosts are probably going to give a debut to batsman Jack Weatherald, with new fast bowler Brendan Doggett also joining after fitness concerns to captain Cummins and fellow seamer Hazlewood