🔗 Share this article

The tourists have maintained flexibility for the initial Ashes match by naming off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a twelve-player team alongside five seamers

The fast bowler has recovered and seems set to play versus the Aussies in Perth Stadium on the coming Friday, with the last selection probably between off-spinner Bashir and pace bowler Brydon Carse

Ground Situation

If the visitors select an pace-only bowling lineup - four dedicated bowlers along with multi-skilled player Stokes - it would potentially be the most rapid assembly of seamers they have used in an Ashes match in this country

On Wednesday WA wicket preparer McDonald commented to expect "pace and bounce" from the surface at Perth Stadium, and it seems likely the tourists will follow a established strategy of an pace-only strategy

However the tourists have also spotted a dryness to the pitch, putting Bashir into the running

Slow Bowling Factors

In the short history of the ground - five prior matches have been staged here - Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the most successful bowler with twenty-nine

England have favored Shoaib, 22, as their primary spin option for since last year and in recent months he was recognized as the youngest England bowler to reach half-century of wickets in Test matches

Yet he has been absent from a official match since claiming the final wicket in a dramatic victory over the Indian team in the third match at Lord's in summer

Recent Issues

Bashir has been recovering from a broken finger and had challenges in England's only warm-up match against the development squad, returning overall statistics of two wickets for 151 runs from twenty-four overs

This presents the possibility of the spinner competing in an Ashes Test without being contracted with a domestic team

His deal at his county concluded at the finish of the English season

Probable Team

However, an visiting team featuring Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, captain Stokes and Brydon Carse - every one of them are likely to hit 90 miles per hour - stays the most likely outcome

The initial game begins at 02:20 GMT on the weekend, with instant commentary, specialist radio coverage and in-play highlights provided

England Squad

Selected players for initial Ashes match: Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Root, Harry Brook, Stokes (skipper), Jamie Smith (gloveman), Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Archer, Bashir

Past Experience

Although a number of English Ashes victories at home and abroad have been founded on quick bowling, they have never fielded as many express pace bowlers in the same team

The lineup that succeeded at home in the memorable competition of that year included Harmison, Jones and Andrew Flintoff

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

Present Circumstances

This time around - potentially the most exciting Ashes series in modern times - the visitors are aiming to change an difficult past - they have failed to win a Test match in the host country since that year

Only five members of the sixteen-player group have played a Test in Australia, but the bowler comments that could benefit the English team

"This could represent an positive," he told 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 extremely composed, highly optimistic squad

"No negative experiences

"It's very exciting

"The entire team views it as a huge opportunity to create history"

Host Team Situation

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

The home side are likely to provide an opportunity to batsman Jack Weatherald, with uncapped seamer Doggett also coming in due to health issues to skipper Cummins and fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood