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The English side has maintained flexibility for the series opener by naming spin bowler Bashir in a twelve-player team together with five pace bowlers

Wood is declared fit and seems set to play facing the hosts in Perth on the coming Friday, with the final decision possibly coming down to off-spinner Bashir and pace bowler Brydon Carse

Pitch Conditions

If the visitors select an all-pace attack - four main pacers along with all-rounder Ben Stokes - it would possibly be the quickest collection of pacemen they have used in an Ashes match in the host nation

On Wednesday Western Australia pitch curator McDonald stated to look for "fast and bouncy conditions" from the wicket at the stadium, and it seems likely the English will stick to a traditional approach of an exclusively pace attack

However the English team have also observed a arid quality to the pitch, placing the spinner into consideration

Spin Considerations

Throughout the limited timeframe of Perth Stadium - five earlier Tests have been staged here - Australia off-spinner the experienced spinner is the top wicket-taker with twenty-nine

The English management have favored Shoaib, 22 years old, as their main slow bowler for more than a year and in recent months he was recognized as the most youthful English bowler to achieve fifty wickets in Test matches

Yet he has missed a first-class game since claiming the last dismissal in a exciting triumph over India in the third match at the famous ground in recently

Recent Issues

The spinner has been recovering from a broken finger and had challenges in England's only warm-up match against England Lions, posting combined figures of 2 for 151 from twenty-four overs

This presents the possibility of him participating in an Ashes match without being attached to a domestic team

His contract at the domestic team expired at the end of the home summer

Probable Team

Still, an visiting team containing Mark Wood, Archer, Atkinson, leader Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are likely to hit 90 miles per hour - continues to be the most likely outcome

The initial game commences at 2:20 AM GMT on the weekend, with live text coverage, specialist radio coverage and in-play highlights accessible

Team Selection

Team lineup for series opener: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (captain), Smith (gloveman), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Team Background

While a several successful Ashes campaigns at in England and overseas have been founded on quick bowling, they have not previously used as numerous fast bowlers in the equivalent side

The lineup that won at domestically in the memorable competition of 2005 included Steve Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

The captain's successful touring team to Australia in those years had Willis, Lever and John Snow, and the English side that triumphed in 1954-55 contained Statham and Tyson

Modern Context

On this occasion - potentially the most exciting England-Australia contests in recent years - the visitors are hoping to change an difficult past - they have failed to win a Test in the host country since 2011

Only five members of the extended squad have experienced a Test match in Australia, but the bowler comments that could work in England's favour

"This might be an advantage," he told the press

"There are a numerous athletes who have mentioned they have had some tough times down under

"Regarding our team, we are a very relaxed, extremely confident team

"No bad memories

"It's very exciting

"Everyone considers it a massive chance to do something special"

Host Team Situation

The Australian practice session on this week was briefly delayed by the possibility of bad weather

Australia are expected to give a debut to batsman Jack Weatherald, with new pace bowler Brendan Doggett also being included following fitness concerns to skipper Cummins and teammate Hazlewood