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England have maintained flexibility for the first Ashes Test by including off-spinner the young spinner in a twelve-player team combined with five seamers

The fast bowler has been passed fit and is expected to participate versus the Aussies in Perth Stadium on Friday, with the final decision probably coming down to spinner Bashir and pace bowler Carse

Ground Situation

If England opt for an pace-only bowling lineup - four dedicated bowlers combined with multi-skilled player Stokes - it would possibly be the fastest group of seamers they have used in an Test against Australia in the host nation

Recently local groundsman Isaac McDonald stated to expect "speed and bounce" from the wicket at the stadium, and it looks possible England will stick to a established strategy of an exclusively pace attack

Yet the tourists have also noted a dryness to the pitch, placing the off-spinner into contention

Spinning Options

Throughout the limited timeframe of Perth Stadium - five previous Tests have been staged here - Australian spin bowler Lyon is the leading wicket-taker with twenty-nine

England have backed Shoaib, twenty-two, as their primary spin option for more than a year and in recent months he achieved the most youthful English bowler to attain fifty wickets in international Tests

However he has not played a first-class game since securing the concluding scalp in a exciting triumph over the Indian team in the third Test at Lord's in recently

Current Concerns

Bashir has been out with a finger injury and had challenges in England's only warm-up match against the Lions, returning combined figures of two wickets for 151 runs from twenty-four overs

It also raises the scenario of the spinner playing in an Ashes match without being contracted with a county

His deal at his county ended at the conclusion of the domestic season

Probable Team

Nevertheless, an visiting team including Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, captain Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - each of whom are capable of reaching 90 miles per hour - remains the probable result

The first Test commences at 02:20 GMT on Friday, with live text coverage, expert analysis and live action clips provided

Team Selection

England squad for initial Ashes match: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (leader), Smith (wk), Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Bashir

Past Experience

Even though a various successful Ashes campaigns at in England and overseas have been constructed around fast bowling, they have not previously selected as many express pace bowlers in the equivalent side

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

Raymond Illingworth's triumphant visitors to Australia in those years had Willis, Lever and Snow, and the England team that won in those seasons contained Brian Statham and Tyson

Modern Context

In this instance - among the most highly anticipated England-Australia contests in recent memory - England are looking to change an poor history - they have not won a Test match in Australia since 2011

Just five players of the 16-man squad have experienced a international Test in Australia, but Atkinson states that could work in England's favour

"This might be an benefit," he told reporters

"There are a lot of players who have said they have had difficult experiences down under

"In our case, we are a extremely composed, extremely confident team

"No scarring

"It's thrilling

"Everyone considers it a huge opportunity to do something special"

Opposition News

The Australian net session on Wednesday was briefly delayed by the possibility of bad weather

The hosts are probably going to provide an opportunity to batsman Weatherald, with new pace bowler Brendan Doggett also coming in after injuries to captain Pat Cummins and colleague Josh Hazlewood