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England have maintained flexibility for the first Ashes Test by selecting off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a twelve-player team alongside five seamers

The fast bowler is declared fit and is expected to participate against Australia in Western Australia on Friday, with the final decision likely involving spinner Bashir and seamer Carse

Pitch Conditions

If England opt for an pace-only bowling lineup - four dedicated bowlers along with all-rounder the captain - it would arguably be the fastest group of seamers they have deployed in an Ashes Test in the host nation

Earlier this week Western Australia pitch curator the curator said to anticipate "pace and bounce" from the pitch at the venue, and it looks possible England will follow a traditional approach of an exclusively pace attack

But the visitors have also noted a arid quality to the surface, bringing the spinner into the running

Slow Bowling Factors

During the brief existence of Perth Stadium - five previous Tests have been staged here - Australia spin bowler the experienced spinner is the top wicket-taker with twenty-nine

The English management have supported Shoaib, 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 official match since securing the final wicket in a exciting triumph over India in the third match at the famous ground in recently

Recent Issues

He has been recovering from a finger injury and struggled in the single preparation match against the development squad, posting combined figures of 2 for 151 from twenty-four overs

It also raises the scenario of the spinner competing in an Test against Australia without being attached to a county

His contract at the domestic team expired at the end of the home summer

Likely Lineup

However, an England team containing Wood, Jofra Archer, Atkinson, skipper Stokes and Brydon Carse - every one of them are able to achieve 90 miles per hour - stays the expected conclusion

The first Test begins at 2:20 AM GMT on Friday, with real-time updates, specialist radio coverage and in-play highlights provided

Team Selection

Team lineup for initial Ashes match: Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Stokes (leader), Smith (wk), Atkinson, Carse, Wood, Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Historical Context

Even though a several successful Ashes campaigns at domestically and internationally have been founded on quick bowling, they have not previously used as multiple quick bowlers in the identical lineup

The team that triumphed at home in the celebrated contest of 2005 Ashes featured Steve Harmison, Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's winning English side to the host nation in 1970-71 had Bob Willis, Lever and John Snow, and the visiting team that triumphed in those seasons featured Statham and Tyson

Modern Context

On this occasion - one of the most eagerly anticipated Ashes series in recent years - England are aiming to overturn an awful record - they have failed to win a Test match in the host country since 2011

Just five players of the sixteen-player group have experienced a Test in Australia, but Atkinson says that could benefit the English team

"This could represent an positive," he explained to the press

"There are a numerous athletes who have said they have had challenging periods down under

"For us, we are a extremely composed, very positive team

"No scarring

"It's exhilarating

"The entire team views it as a huge opportunity to create history"

Host Team Situation

The host team's training on Wednesday was temporarily interrupted by the risk of storms

Australia are expected to hand a first cap to opener Weatherald, with uncapped seamer Brendan Doggett also coming in due to health issues to captain Pat Cummins and fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood