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The English side has kept their options open for the initial Ashes match by naming slow bowler the young spinner in a twelve-player team combined with five seamers

Mark Wood has been passed fit and seems set to play facing the hosts in Perth on Friday, with the final decision probably coming down to the young spinner and fast bowler Brydon Carse

Pitch Conditions

If the visitors select an all-pace attack - four main pacers plus all-rounder Stokes - it would possibly be the fastest group of pacemen they have deployed in an Ashes match in Australia

Earlier this week WA wicket preparer Isaac McDonald commented to look for "fast and bouncy conditions" from the surface at the venue, and it looks possible England will stick to a long-standing plan of an fast bowling focus

But the English team have also noted a dryness to the pitch, placing the spinner into contention

Slow Bowling Factors

During the brief existence of this venue - five previous Tests have been staged here - Australia off-spinner Lyon is the top wicket-taker with 29 dismissals

The English management have backed Shoaib, 22, as their main slow bowler for since last year and in spring he was recognized as the youngest England bowler to reach fifty wickets in Test matches

However he has missed a competitive game following claiming the final wicket in a thrilling win over India in the final Test at Lord's in recently

Current Concerns

The spinner has been suffering from a broken finger and struggled in England's only warm-up match against England Lions, returning match figures of two wickets for 151 runs from 24 overs

This creates the possibility of Bashir participating in an Test against Australia without being affiliated with a domestic team

The agreement at his county expired at the finish of the English season

Likely Lineup

Still, an England team featuring Wood, Archer, Atkinson, captain Ben Stokes and Carse - every one of them are capable of reaching 90mph - remains the most likely outcome

The first Test begins at early morning GMT on Friday, with live text coverage, specialist radio coverage and real-time features provided

Playing Group

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

Team Background

While a several English Ashes victories at domestically and internationally have been founded on quick bowling, they have not previously used as multiple quick bowlers in the same team

The lineup that succeeded at domestically in the famous series of 2005 featured Steve Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

The captain's winning English side to the host nation in that era had Bob Willis, Lever and Snow, and the English side that succeeded in those seasons featured Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Present Circumstances

On this occasion - one of the most eagerly anticipated Test series in recent years - the English team are looking to change an poor history - 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 match in Australia, but Atkinson comments that could work in England's favour

"It could be an positive," he explained to reporters

"We've seen a lot of players who have stated they have had difficult experiences down under

"Regarding our team, we are a quite calm, highly optimistic squad

"No scarring

"It's thrilling

"We all see it as a great possibility to do something special"

Opposition News

The Australian practice session on this week was temporarily interrupted by the threat of lightning

The hosts are probably going to give a debut to opener Weatherald, with uncapped fast bowler Doggett also joining following injuries to captain Pat Cummins and fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood