🔗 Share this article

The tourists have left decisions open for the series opener by selecting off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a twelve-player team together with five seamers

Wood has recovered and appears likely to feature against Australia in Perth on the coming Friday, with the final decision probably coming down to off-spinner Bashir and pace bowler the seamer

Ground Situation

If England opt for an fast bowling unit - four specialists along with multi-skilled player Stokes - it would potentially be the most rapid assembly of bowlers they have used in an Ashes Test in the host nation

On Wednesday Western Australia pitch curator Isaac McDonald said to look for "speed and bounce" from the pitch at Perth Stadium, and it appears probable England will stick to a traditional approach of an fast bowling focus

However the English team have also spotted a arid quality to the wicket, placing Bashir into contention

Slow Bowling Factors

In the short history of the ground - five earlier Tests have been hosted here - Australian off-spinner Lyon is the leading wicket-taker with 29 dismissals

The English management have supported Shoaib, twenty-two, as their first-choice spinner for more than a year and in May he became the youngest England bowler to attain half-century of wickets in Tests

But he has been absent from a first-class game following securing the last dismissal in a thrilling win over the Indian team in the third match at Lord's in recently

Current Concerns

The spinner has been recovering from a broken finger and had challenges in England's only warm-up match against the Lions, recording match figures of two wickets for 151 runs from 24 overs

This creates the possibility of him participating in an Ashes match without being affiliated with a first-class side

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

Expected Selection

Still, an England team including Wood, Archer, Gus Atkinson, captain Stokes and Carse - all of whom are likely to hit high speeds - stays the expected conclusion

The initial game begins at 02:20 GMT on the weekend, with instant commentary, Test Match Special commentary and live action clips accessible

Playing Group

England squad for initial Ashes match: Duckett, Zak Crawley, Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Stokes (skipper), Smith (wicketkeeper), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Wood, Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Past Experience

Although a various England Ashes triumphs at domestically and internationally have been built on pace, they have never fielded as multiple quick bowlers in the same team

The team that won at home in the celebrated contest of that year included Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

The captain's winning English side to the host nation in 1970-71 had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and Snow, and the England team that triumphed in those seasons featured Brian Statham and Tyson

Modern Context

On this occasion - potentially the most exciting Test series in recent years - England are hoping to reverse an poor history - they have not won a Test match in the host country since over a decade ago

Just five players of the sixteen-player group have played a Test match in Australia, but Atkinson states that could work in England's favour

"It could be an positive," he told reporters

"There have been a lot of players who have mentioned they have had some tough times here in Australia

"For us, we are a quite calm, very positive team

"No bad memories

"It's very exciting

"We all see it as a great possibility to do something special"

Opposition News

The host team's practice session on Wednesday was momentarily paused by the risk of storms

The hosts are likely to give a debut to opener Weatherald, with uncapped pace bowler Doggett also being included after health issues to captain Cummins and fellow seamer Hazlewood