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The English side has left decisions open for the series opener by including slow bowler Bashir in a squad of twelve combined with five seamers

The fast bowler has been passed fit and appears likely to feature against Australia in Perth Stadium on the weekend, with the last selection likely coming down to the young spinner and seamer Carse

Pitch Conditions

If the visitors select an pace-only bowling lineup - four main pacers plus multi-skilled player Stokes - it would arguably be the fastest group of bowlers they have fielded in an Test against Australia in the host nation

Earlier this week local pitch curator McDonald commented to anticipate "fast and bouncy conditions" from the surface at the venue, and it appears probable the tourists will stick to a traditional approach of an fast bowling focus

But the visitors have also observed a arid quality to the surface, placing the off-spinner into the running

Spin Considerations

During the brief existence of Perth Stadium - five prior matches have been played here - Australian off-spinner Lyon is the most successful bowler with 29

The team have favored Bashir, twenty-two, as their main slow bowler for more than a year and in spring he was recognized as the most youthful English bowler to attain 50 wickets in Tests

Yet he has missed a competitive game since securing the last dismissal in a exciting triumph over India in the third Test at the famous ground in summer

Recent Issues

Bashir has been out with a finger injury and struggled in the sole practice game against England Lions, returning overall statistics of 2 for 151 from twenty-four overs

This presents the scenario of the spinner playing in an Ashes Test without being contracted with a county

His deal at his county expired at the end of the home summer

Likely Lineup

Still, an England team including Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Atkinson, skipper Ben Stokes and Carse - every one of them are able to achieve 90 miles per hour - continues to be the most likely outcome

The initial game commences at 02:20 GMT on the weekend, with live text coverage, Test Match Special commentary and in-play highlights provided

Playing Group

Selected players for series opener: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, Harry Brook, Stokes (skipper), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Team Background

Although a various England Ashes triumphs at in England and overseas have been built on pace, they have not previously selected as many express pace bowlers in the equivalent side

The team that won at in England in the celebrated contest of that year contained Steve Harmison, Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's winning English side to the host nation in those years had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and Snow, and the England team that won in those seasons featured Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Modern Context

On this occasion - one of the most eagerly anticipated England-Australia contests in modern times - the English team are aiming to overturn an difficult past - they have been unable to secure a Test match in Australia since 2011

Only five members of the sixteen-player group have experienced a Test in the host nation, but Atkinson states that could help the visitors

"This might be an positive," he told the press

"There are a numerous athletes who have said they have had challenging periods here in Australia

"For us, we are a extremely composed, extremely confident squad

"No scarring

"It's very exciting

"Everyone considers it a great possibility to create history"

Australian Preparations

Australia's net session on Wednesday was temporarily interrupted by the risk of storms

The home side are expected to hand a first cap to batsman Weatherald, with uncapped fast bowler Brendan Doggett also joining due to fitness concerns to skipper Pat Cummins and teammate Josh Hazlewood