England Name Bashir In Squad For Ashes Opener

England person kept their options unfastened for nan first Ashes Test by naming off-spinner Shoaib Bashir successful a 12-man squad alongside 5 gait bowlers.

Mark Wood has been passed fresh and seems group to play against Australia successful Perth connected Friday, pinch nan last determination astir apt betwixt off-spinner Bashir and seamer Brydon Carse.

If England opt for an all-pace onslaught - 4 specialists positive all-rounder Ben Stokes - it would arguably beryllium nan fastest group of bowlers they person fielded successful an Ashes Test successful this country.

On Wednesday Western Australia transportation curator Isaac McDonald said to expect "pace and bounce" from nan aboveground astatine Perth Stadium, and it seems apt England will instrumentality to a long-standing scheme of an exclusively gait attack.

But nan visitors person besides noted a dryness to nan pitch, bringing Bashir into contention.

In nan short history of this venue - 5 erstwhile Tests person been staged present - Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon is nan starring wicket-taker pinch 29.

England person backed Bashir, 22, arsenic their first-choice spinner for much than a twelvemonth and successful May became nan youngest England bowler to scope 50 successful Tests.

But he has not played a competitory crippled since taking nan last wicket successful a melodramatic triumph complete India successful nan 3rd Test astatine Lord's successful July.

Bashir has been retired pinch a surgery digit and struggled successful England's only warm-up lucifer against England Lions, returning mixed figures of 2-151 from 24 overs.

It besides raises nan imaginable of Bashir playing successful an Ashes Test without being attached to a county. His statement astatine Somerset expired astatine nan extremity of nan location summer.

However, an England squad containing Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, skipper Stokes and Carse - each of whom are tin of reaching 90mph - remains nan astir apt outcome.

The first Test starts astatine 02:20 GMT connected Friday, pinch unrecorded matter coverage, Test Match Special commentary and in-play highlights connected nan BBC Sport website.

Although a number of England Ashes triumphs astatine location and overseas person been built connected pace, they person ne'er fielded arsenic galore definitive gait bowlers successful nan aforesaid team.

The broadside that won astatine location successful nan celebrated bid of 2005 included Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff.

Raymond Illingworth's triumphant visitors to Australia successful 1970-71 had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and John Snow, and nan England squad that won successful 1954-55 included Brian Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson.

Perhaps England's astir celebrated Australian circuit of all, nan 1932-33 Bodyline series, caused negotiated tensions betwixt nan 2 countries for a short-bowling scheme designed to unsettle nan awesome Don Bradman.

On this juncture - 1 of nan astir eagerly anticipated Ashes bid successful caller representation - England are looking to reverse an atrocious grounds - they person not won a Test successful Australia successful 2011.

Only 5 members of nan 16-man squad person played a Test successful Australia, but Atkinson says that could activity successful England's favour.

"It could beryllium an advantage," he told BBC Sport. "There are a batch of players who person said they person had immoderate reliable times present successful Australia.

"For us, we are a very relaxed, very affirmative group. No scarring. It's very exciting. We each spot it arsenic a immense opportunity to do thing special."

Australia's nett convention connected Wednesday was concisely delayed by nan threat of lightning.

The location broadside are expected to springiness a debut to opener Jack Weatherald, pinch uncapped gait bowler Brendan Doggett besides coming successful pursuing injuries to skipper Pat Cummins and and chap seamer Josh Hazlewood.