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England have kept their options open for the first Ashes Test by including off-spinner the young spinner in a squad of twelve alongside five pace bowlers

Wood has recovered and is expected to participate versus the Aussies in Western Australia on the weekend, with the ultimate choice likely involving spinner Bashir and pace bowler the seamer

Pitch Conditions

If the visitors select an pace-only bowling lineup - four specialists plus all-rounder the captain - it would arguably be the most rapid assembly of seamers they have deployed in an Test against Australia in the host nation

Earlier this week WA groundsman the curator said to look for "pace and bounce" from the pitch at the venue, and it seems likely the English will follow a long-standing plan of an exclusively pace attack

However the tourists have also observed a arid quality to the surface, putting the spinner into consideration

Spin Considerations

In the short history of Perth Stadium - five prior matches have been played here - Australia off-spinner the experienced spinner is the top wicket-taker with 29 dismissals

England have backed Shoaib, twenty-two, as their main slow bowler for over twelve months and in recent months he became the youngest England bowler to achieve fifty wickets in Tests

But he has been absent from a competitive game following securing the concluding scalp in a thrilling win over India in the final Test at Lord's in summer

Recent Issues

He has been recovering from a finger injury and found it difficult in England's only warm-up match against the Lions, returning combined figures of 2 for 151 from 24 overs

This creates the possibility of the spinner playing in an Ashes Test without being affiliated with a county

His deal at the domestic team ended at the finish of the English season

Probable Team

However, an England team including Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, skipper Ben Stokes and Carse - every one of them are capable of reaching high speeds - remains the most likely outcome

The initial game starts at 2:20 AM GMT on the weekend, with real-time updates, specialist radio coverage and real-time features accessible

Team Selection

Team lineup for series opener: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Pope, Root, Harry Brook, Stokes (skipper), Smith (wk), Atkinson, Carse, Wood, Archer, Bashir

Team Background

While a various successful Ashes campaigns at home and abroad have been constructed around fast bowling, they have not previously selected as numerous fast bowlers in the same team

The side that succeeded at home in the famous series of 2005 Ashes included Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

The captain's triumphant visitors to Australia in those years had Bob Willis, Lever and John Snow, and the English side that triumphed in 1954-55 featured Statham and Tyson

Modern Context

In this instance - one of the most eagerly anticipated England-Australia contests in recent years - the English team are hoping to overturn an difficult past - they have been unable to secure a Test in Australia since that year

Just five players of the sixteen-player group have participated in a international Test in Australia, but Atkinson states that could benefit the English team

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

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

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

"No scarring

"It's exhilarating

"Everyone considers it a great possibility to create history"

Australian Preparations

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

The hosts are expected to give a debut to batsman Weatherald, with new fast bowler Brendan Doggett also being included after fitness concerns to captain Cummins and teammate Josh Hazlewood