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The tourists have maintained flexibility for the first Ashes Test by including slow bowler the young spinner in a twelve-player team together with five seamers

Mark Wood is declared fit and is expected to participate against Australia in Western Australia on Friday, with the final decision likely coming down to spinner Bashir and seamer the seamer

Pitch Conditions

If England opt for an fast bowling unit - four main pacers plus multi-skilled player the captain - it would potentially be the quickest collection of pacemen they have fielded in an Ashes match in this country

Earlier this week WA wicket preparer Isaac McDonald said to expect "pace and bounce" from the surface at the stadium, and it looks possible England will stick to a long-standing plan of an pace-only strategy

However the tourists have also noted a dryness to the surface, bringing the off-spinner into consideration

Spin Considerations

Throughout the limited timeframe of this venue - five prior matches have been staged here - Australian off-spinner Lyon is the leading wicket-taker with twenty-nine

England have favored Bashir, 22 years old, as their primary spin option for over twelve months and in May he was recognized as the least experienced English bowler to reach half-century of wickets in Test matches

However he has not played a competitive game following securing the last dismissal in a exciting triumph over India in the third Test at the famous ground in recently

Current Concerns

Bashir has been recovering from a hand problem and struggled in the single preparation match against the Lions, returning overall statistics of two wickets for 151 runs from his bowling spell

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

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

Probable Team

Nevertheless, an visiting team including Wood, Archer, Gus Atkinson, captain Ben Stokes and Carse - each of whom are capable of reaching high speeds - remains the probable result

The first Test begins at 2:20 AM GMT on Friday, with live text coverage, specialist radio coverage and live action clips provided

England Squad

Selected players for series opener: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (gloveman), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Archer, Bashir

Historical Context

Although a several successful Ashes campaigns at in England and overseas have been constructed around fast bowling, they have never fielded as numerous fast bowlers in the equivalent side

The lineup that succeeded at domestically in the memorable competition of 2005 contained Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

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

Current Situation

This time around - one of the most eagerly anticipated Ashes series in recent years - the visitors are hoping to overturn an difficult past - they have not won a Test match in the host country since 2011

Just five players of the sixteen-player group have played a Test match in the host nation, but the bowler comments that could help the visitors

"This could represent an benefit," he explained to reporters

"There are a numerous athletes who have mentioned they have had difficult experiences here in Australia

"In our case, we are a very relaxed, extremely confident squad

"No bad memories

"It's exhilarating

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

Australian Preparations

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

The hosts are probably going to give a debut to opener Jack Weatherald, with new fast bowler Brendan Doggett also joining following injuries to skipper Pat Cummins and teammate Hazlewood