🔗 Share this article

The tourists have maintained flexibility for the initial Ashes match by including slow bowler Shoaib Bashir in a twelve-player team together with five seamers

Mark Wood has been passed fit and appears likely to feature against Australia in Perth on the coming Friday, with the ultimate choice probably involving off-spinner Bashir and fast bowler Brydon Carse

Wicket Factors

Should England choose an all-pace attack - four main pacers combined with all-rounder the captain - it would arguably be the quickest collection of bowlers they have deployed in an Test against Australia in the host nation

Recently local pitch curator Isaac McDonald stated to expect "pace and bounce" from the wicket at the stadium, and it seems likely the English will adhere to a long-standing plan of an exclusively pace attack

But the English team have also observed a arid quality to the pitch, putting the spinner into the running

Spin Considerations

In the short history of Perth Stadium - five prior matches have been hosted here - Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the most successful bowler with 29 dismissals

The English management have supported Bashir, 22 years old, as their primary spin option for since last year and in recent months he became the most youthful English bowler to attain half-century of wickets in Tests

However he has missed a competitive game following taking the concluding scalp in a exciting triumph over the Indian team in the final Test at the famous ground in summer

Current Concerns

Bashir has been out with a broken finger and struggled in the sole practice game against the development squad, posting overall statistics of 2-151 from twenty-four overs

It also raises the prospect of the spinner competing in an Test against Australia without being affiliated with a domestic team

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

Probable Team

Nevertheless, an England team featuring Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, leader Ben Stokes and Carse - all of whom are able to achieve high speeds - stays the most likely outcome

The opening match commences at 02:20 GMT on Friday, with real-time updates, Test Match Special commentary and live action clips provided

Playing Group

Team lineup for initial Ashes match: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Stokes (captain), Smith (gloveman), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Archer, Bashir

Historical Context

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

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

The captain's winning English side to Australia in 1970-71 had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and John Snow, and the visiting team that won in those seasons contained Statham and Tyson

Present Circumstances

This time around - one of the most eagerly anticipated Ashes series in recent memory - the visitors are looking to change an poor history - they have failed to win a Test in the host country since that year

Only five members of the sixteen-player group have played a international Test in the host nation, but Atkinson says that could work in England's favour

"This could represent an advantage," he explained to the press

"There are a numerous athletes who have mentioned they have had difficult experiences here in Australia

"Regarding our team, we are a quite calm, highly optimistic team

"No negative experiences

"It's exhilarating

"Everyone considers it a huge opportunity to create history"

Host Team Situation

The Australian training on Wednesday was temporarily interrupted by the risk of storms

The hosts are likely to give a debut to batsman Weatherald, with yet to debut seamer Doggett also being included after injuries to skipper Cummins and colleague Josh Hazlewood