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The English side has kept their options open for the first Ashes Test by naming slow bowler the young spinner in a 12-man squad together with five fast bowlers

Mark Wood is declared fit and is expected to participate against Australia in Perth Stadium on Friday, with the final decision possibly coming down to spinner Bashir and fast bowler Carse

Pitch Conditions

If the visitors select an fast bowling unit - four main pacers combined with all-rounder Stokes - it would potentially be the most rapid assembly of pacemen they have used in an Ashes Test in the host nation

Recently Western Australia wicket preparer the curator stated to expect "speed and bounce" from the pitch at Perth Stadium, and it appears probable the tourists will adhere to a traditional approach of an pace-only strategy

Yet the English team have also spotted a lack of moisture to the wicket, putting the off-spinner into contention

Spin Considerations

Throughout the limited timeframe of this venue - five earlier Tests have been hosted here - Australia spin bowler Lyon is the leading wicket-taker with 29 dismissals

The English management have backed Shoaib, twenty-two, as their main slow bowler for since last year and in recent months he achieved the youngest England bowler to attain half-century of wickets in international Tests

However he has not played a competitive game following securing the final wicket in a dramatic victory over the Indian team in the third Test at the famous ground in summer

Current Concerns

He has been suffering from a broken finger and had challenges in the sole practice game against England Lions, recording match figures of two wickets for 151 runs from twenty-four overs

This creates the scenario of Bashir competing in an Ashes match without being contracted with a first-class side

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

Probable Team

However, an England team containing Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Atkinson, skipper Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are likely to hit 90mph - remains the expected conclusion

The first Test commences at 02:20 GMT on the weekend, with instant commentary, expert analysis and in-play highlights provided

England Squad

Selected players for first Ashes Test: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Team Background

While a several successful Ashes campaigns at in England and overseas have been built on pace, they have never fielded as numerous fast bowlers in the equivalent side

The side that won at domestically in the famous series of 2005 Ashes featured Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Illingworth's triumphant visitors to Australia in 1970-71 had Willis, Lever and John Snow, and the English side that won in that period contained Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Current Situation

This time around - potentially the most exciting England-Australia contests in recent memory - England are hoping to reverse an poor history - they have been unable to secure a Test match in the host country since over a decade ago

Only five members of the 16-man squad have participated in a international Test in the host nation, but Atkinson states that could benefit the English team

"This might be an positive," he explained to media outlets

"There have been a numerous athletes who have said they have had some tough times in this country

"Regarding our team, we are a extremely composed, extremely confident team

"No bad memories

"It's very exciting

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

Australian Preparations

The host team's practice session on Wednesday was temporarily interrupted by the risk of storms

The home side are probably going to give a debut to batsman Jack Weatherald, with new seamer Brendan Doggett also being included due to fitness concerns to skipper Pat Cummins and fellow seamer Hazlewood