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England have kept their options open for the first Ashes Test by selecting slow bowler the young spinner in a twelve-player team together with five fast bowlers

Mark Wood has recovered and seems set to play versus the Aussies in Western Australia on the weekend, with the last selection likely coming down to spinner Bashir and seamer the seamer

Wicket Factors

If England opt for an fast bowling unit - four main pacers combined with all-rounder the captain - it would arguably be the fastest group of seamers they have deployed in an Ashes match in this country

Earlier this week local pitch curator McDonald commented to look for "pace and bounce" from the wicket at the stadium, and it appears probable the tourists will stick to a long-standing plan of an pace-only strategy

But the English team have also observed a lack of moisture to the surface, putting the off-spinner into the running

Spin Considerations

During the brief existence of the ground - five earlier Tests have been played here - Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the top wicket-taker with twenty-nine

England have favored the young spinner, 22, as their primary spin option for more than a year and in May he achieved the youngest England bowler to reach half-century of wickets in Test matches

Yet he has been absent from a competitive game following claiming the last dismissal in a thrilling win over India in the final Test at the famous ground in summer

Current Concerns

The spinner has been recovering from a broken finger and found it difficult in the sole practice game against England Lions, returning combined figures of 2 for 151 from 24 overs

This presents the possibility of the spinner participating in an Ashes Test without being contracted with a domestic team

His contract at Somerset concluded at the finish of the English season

Likely Lineup

However, an England team containing Wood, Archer, Gus Atkinson, leader Ben Stokes and Carse - every one of them are capable of reaching 90mph - stays the expected conclusion

The opening match starts at 2:20 AM GMT on the weekend, with real-time updates, specialist radio coverage and live action clips available

Playing Group

Team lineup for first Ashes Test: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Stokes (leader), Jamie Smith (gloveman), Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Archer, Bashir

Historical Context

Even though a number of English Ashes victories at home and abroad have been constructed around fast bowling, they have never fielded as numerous fast bowlers in the equivalent side

The lineup that won at home in the celebrated contest of 2005 Ashes contained Steve Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

The captain's triumphant visitors to the host nation in 1970-71 had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and Snow, and the English side that succeeded in that period included Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Present Circumstances

This time around - among the most highly anticipated Test series in recent memory - the English team are looking to overturn an awful record - they have not won a Test in the host country since over a decade ago

Only five members of the sixteen-player group have experienced a international Test in the host nation, but the bowler says that could benefit the English team

"It could be an benefit," he explained to the press

"There are a numerous athletes who have mentioned they have had difficult experiences down under

"Regarding our team, we are a extremely composed, very positive group

"No negative experiences

"It's exhilarating

"We all see it as a massive chance to achieve something remarkable"

Australian Preparations

Australia's practice session on this week was momentarily paused by the possibility of bad weather

The home side are probably going to hand a first cap to opener Jack Weatherald, with yet to debut fast bowler Brendan Doggett also being included after health issues to captain Cummins and colleague Hazlewood