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England have maintained flexibility for the first Ashes Test by including slow bowler Bashir in a twelve-player team alongside five fast bowlers

Mark Wood has been passed fit and seems set to play against Australia in Perth on the coming Friday, with the final decision likely coming down to the young spinner and pace bowler Carse

Wicket Factors

If England opt for an fast bowling unit - four specialists plus all-rounder the captain - it would possibly be the fastest group of seamers they have fielded in an Ashes match in this country

Earlier this week local pitch curator Isaac McDonald commented to look for "speed and bounce" from the wicket at the venue, and it looks possible the tourists will adhere to a traditional approach of an pace-only strategy

But the tourists have also observed a arid quality to the wicket, putting Bashir into the running

Spinning Options

During the brief existence of this venue - five prior matches have been played here - Australia off-spinner Lyon is the most successful bowler with twenty-nine

The English management have favored Shoaib, 22, as their first-choice spinner for over twelve months and in May he achieved the least experienced English bowler to achieve fifty wickets in Tests

Yet he has missed a official match after taking the final wicket in a exciting triumph over India in the third match at Lord's in recently

Recent Challenges

Bashir has been out with a broken finger and found it difficult in England's only warm-up match against England Lions, recording overall statistics of two wickets for 151 runs from his bowling spell

This creates the scenario of him competing in an Ashes Test without being contracted with a county

The agreement at Somerset expired at the conclusion of the domestic season

Expected Selection

However, an England team containing Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Atkinson, skipper Stokes and Brydon Carse - each of whom are capable of reaching 90mph - remains the expected conclusion

The opening match starts at early morning GMT on the weekend, with live text coverage, specialist radio coverage and live action clips available

Team Selection

Selected players for series opener: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Stokes (leader), Smith (gloveman), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Past Experience

Even though a number of England Ashes triumphs at domestically and internationally have been built on pace, they have not previously used as multiple quick bowlers in the equivalent side

The side that triumphed at in England in the memorable competition of 2005 Ashes contained Steve Harmison, Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Illingworth's successful touring team to Australia in 1970-71 had Willis, Lever and Snow, and the England team that won in those seasons included Brian Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Present Circumstances

In this instance - among the most highly anticipated England-Australia contests in recent years - the English team are hoping to change an difficult past - they have not won a Test match in Australia since over a decade ago

Merely five individuals of the extended squad have played a Test in the host nation, but Atkinson says that could help the visitors

"This might be an benefit," he explained to the press

"There are a many cricketers who have said they have had some tough times here in Australia

"In our case, we are a very relaxed, highly optimistic squad

"No negative experiences

"It's exhilarating

"The entire team views it as a great possibility to do something special"

Opposition News

Australia's training on this week was temporarily interrupted by the risk of storms

Australia are likely to hand a first cap to batsman Weatherald, with new seamer Brendan Doggett also coming in due to fitness concerns to skipper Pat Cummins and teammate Hazlewood