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The tourists have left decisions open for the first Ashes Test by naming slow bowler the young spinner in a twelve-player team combined with five pace bowlers

Mark Wood is declared fit and appears likely to feature facing the hosts in Western Australia on the weekend, with the final decision possibly involving off-spinner Bashir and seamer the seamer

Pitch Conditions

If the visitors select an all-pace attack - four main pacers plus all-rounder Ben Stokes - it would possibly be the fastest group of seamers they have fielded in an Ashes Test in this country

On Wednesday local pitch curator Isaac McDonald said to anticipate "fast and bouncy conditions" from the surface at the venue, and it looks possible the English will follow a traditional approach of an exclusively pace attack

Yet the English team have also spotted a lack of moisture to the wicket, bringing the off-spinner into the running

Slow Bowling Factors

In the short history of the ground - five prior matches have been staged here - Australian spin bowler the experienced spinner is the top wicket-taker with twenty-nine

England have supported Shoaib, twenty-two, as their first-choice spinner for over twelve months and in May he became the least experienced English bowler to achieve 50 wickets in Test matches

Yet he has missed a first-class game after claiming the concluding scalp in a dramatic victory over India in the final Test at Lord's in recently

Recent Issues

Bashir has been recovering from a broken finger and found it difficult in the sole practice game against the Lions, posting overall statistics of 2 for 151 from 24 overs

This creates the prospect of the spinner playing in an Test against Australia without being contracted with a county

His contract at Somerset concluded at the end of the home summer

Likely Lineup

However, an visiting team featuring Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, captain Stokes and Brydon Carse - each of whom are capable of reaching high speeds - remains the most likely outcome

The initial game begins at 02:20 GMT on the weekend, with live text coverage, Test Match Special commentary and real-time features available

England Squad

England squad for initial Ashes match: Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (skipper), Jamie Smith (gloveman), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Past Experience

While a various English Ashes victories at home and abroad have been founded on quick bowling, they have never fielded as multiple quick bowlers in the same team

The side that triumphed at domestically in the memorable competition of that year featured Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Illingworth's successful touring team to Australia in that era had Willis, Peter Lever and John Snow, and the England team that succeeded in 1954-55 featured Brian Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Current Situation

This time around - among the most highly anticipated England-Australia contests in recent memory - England are aiming to reverse an awful record - they have not won a Test in the host country since over a decade ago

Only five members of the extended squad have participated in a Test in the host nation, but the bowler says that could benefit the English team

"This could represent an positive," he explained to media outlets

"We've seen a numerous athletes who have stated they have had some tough times down under

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

"No negative experiences

"It's exhilarating

"The entire team views it as a massive chance to do something special"

Opposition News

Australia's training on Wednesday was temporarily interrupted by the possibility of bad weather

Australia are expected to provide an opportunity to opener Jack Weatherald, with uncapped seamer Doggett also being included following fitness concerns to captain Pat Cummins and colleague Hazlewood