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England have kept their options open for the initial Ashes match by including spin bowler Shoaib Bashir in a twelve-player team alongside five pace bowlers

Wood is declared fit and appears likely to feature against Australia in Perth on the weekend, with the last selection probably involving spinner Bashir and fast bowler the seamer

Pitch Conditions

If England opt for an fast bowling unit - four main pacers combined with multi-skilled player Stokes - it would arguably be the most rapid assembly of bowlers they have deployed in an Ashes Test in this country

On Wednesday Western Australia wicket preparer Isaac McDonald said to look for "fast and bouncy conditions" from the surface at Perth Stadium, and it seems likely the tourists will stick to a established strategy of an fast bowling focus

But the visitors have also noted a arid quality to the wicket, placing the spinner into the running

Slow Bowling Factors

In the short history of the ground - five previous Tests have been staged here - Australian spin bowler Lyon is the leading wicket-taker with 29 dismissals

The English management have supported the young spinner, 22 years old, as their main slow bowler for since last year and in May he was recognized as the least experienced English bowler to achieve fifty wickets in Test matches

However he has missed a first-class game after taking the concluding scalp in a exciting triumph over the Indian team in the final Test at the famous ground in July

Recent Challenges

He has been recovering from a finger injury and found it difficult in the single preparation match against England Lions, recording combined figures of two wickets for 151 runs from 24 overs

This presents the possibility of him competing in an Test against Australia without being attached to a first-class side

The agreement at his county expired at the end of the home summer

Expected Selection

However, an English side featuring Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, captain Ben Stokes and Carse - all of whom are likely to hit 90mph - stays the expected conclusion

The opening match commences at 2:20 AM GMT on the weekend, with real-time updates, Test Match Special commentary and real-time features accessible

England Squad

Team lineup for initial Ashes match: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (skipper), Smith (wk), Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Historical Context

Although a number of England Ashes triumphs at in England and overseas have been built on pace, they have never fielded as numerous fast bowlers in the same team

The team that triumphed at domestically in the celebrated contest of 2005 Ashes contained Steve Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's triumphant visitors to the host nation in 1970-71 had Bob Willis, Lever and Snow, and the England team that won in that period contained Brian Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Present Circumstances

On this occasion - one of the most eagerly anticipated Ashes series in recent years - the visitors are looking to change an difficult past - they have not won a Test in Australia since over a decade ago

Merely five individuals of the 16-man squad have experienced a international Test in Australia, but Atkinson comments that could benefit the English team

"This might be an advantage," he told reporters

"We've seen a many cricketers who have mentioned they have had some tough times in this country

"Regarding our team, we are a quite calm, extremely confident squad

"No negative experiences

"It's very exciting

"Everyone considers it a huge opportunity to achieve something remarkable"

Opposition News

The host team's practice session on Wednesday was temporarily interrupted by the possibility of bad weather

The home side are expected to give a debut to batsman Weatherald, with yet to debut seamer Brendan Doggett also coming in after fitness concerns to captain Cummins and teammate Josh Hazlewood