The visitors Select Shoaib Bashir in Line-up for The Ashes series Initial Match

The tourists have kept their options open for the initial Ashes match by selecting slow bowler the young spinner in a 12-man squad together with five fast bowlers

Wood is declared fit and seems set to play facing the hosts in Western Australia on the weekend, with the final decision probably coming down to the young spinner and seamer the seamer

Wicket Factors

If England opt for an pace-only bowling lineup - four dedicated bowlers plus all-rounder Ben Stokes - it would arguably be the quickest collection of pacemen they have fielded in an Test against Australia in Australia

On Wednesday Western Australia pitch curator Isaac McDonald commented to expect "pace and bounce" from the wicket at the venue, and it appears probable the tourists will adhere to a established strategy of an pace-only strategy

Yet the tourists have also observed a lack of moisture to the pitch, placing Bashir into the running

Spinning Options

In the short history of the ground - five earlier Tests have been staged here - Australian spin bowler Nathan Lyon is the top wicket-taker with 29 dismissals

The team have backed Bashir, twenty-two, as their first-choice spinner for over twelve months and in spring he was recognized as the least experienced English bowler to achieve 50 wickets in Test matches

However he has not played a official match since taking the last dismissal in a dramatic victory over India in the third Test at the famous ground in recently

Current Concerns

He has been recovering from a hand problem and had challenges in England's only warm-up match against England Lions, returning overall statistics of 2 for 151 from twenty-four overs

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

His contract at Somerset expired at the finish of the English season

Probable Team

However, an England team including Mark Wood, Archer, Atkinson, leader Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are likely to hit high speeds - stays the most likely outcome

The initial game starts at 2:20 AM GMT on Friday, with live text coverage, Test Match Special commentary and in-play highlights accessible

England Squad

Team lineup for series opener: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (gloveman), Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Wood, Archer, Bashir

Past Experience

Although a various successful Ashes campaigns at domestically and internationally have been built on pace, they have not previously selected as many express pace bowlers in the identical lineup

The team that succeeded at home in the famous series of that year contained Harmison, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Illingworth's triumphant visitors to the host nation in those years had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and John Snow, and the England team that succeeded in that period included Brian Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Modern Context

This time around - among the most highly anticipated England-Australia contests in recent memory - the visitors are looking to overturn an awful record - they have been unable to secure a Test in the host country since over a decade ago

Just five players of the 16-man squad have played a Test in Australia, but Atkinson states that could benefit the English team

"This might be an benefit," he told reporters

"There have been a numerous athletes who have mentioned they have had difficult experiences down under

"For us, we are a very relaxed, extremely confident group

"No negative experiences

"It's very exciting

"The entire team views it as a huge opportunity to do something special"

Opposition News

Australia's training on this week was briefly delayed by the threat of lightning

The home side are probably going to give a debut to batsman Weatherald, with new pace bowler Doggett also being included due to health issues to skipper Cummins and colleague Josh Hazlewood