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The English side has left decisions open for the initial Ashes match by naming slow bowler the young spinner in a squad of twelve combined with five seamers

Wood is declared fit and appears likely to feature against Australia in Perth Stadium on the coming Friday, with the last selection probably coming down to off-spinner Bashir and pace bowler Carse

Pitch Conditions

If England opt for an pace-only bowling lineup - four dedicated bowlers along with multi-skilled player Ben Stokes - it would potentially be the fastest group of pacemen they have used in an Test against Australia in this country

Recently WA wicket preparer McDonald said to anticipate "pace and bounce" from the wicket at the venue, and it appears probable the English will stick to a traditional approach of an pace-only strategy

Yet the English team have also noted a dryness to the surface, putting Bashir into the running

Spin Considerations

During the brief existence of this venue - five previous Tests have been staged here - Australian spin bowler Lyon is the most successful bowler with twenty-nine

England have favored the young spinner, twenty-two, as their first-choice spinner for since last year and in recent months he was recognized as the youngest England bowler to attain fifty wickets in international Tests

However he has missed a competitive game since claiming the final wicket in a dramatic victory over India in the third Test at the famous ground in summer

Recent Challenges

The spinner has been suffering from a finger injury and struggled in the single preparation match against England Lions, returning combined figures of two wickets for 151 runs from his bowling spell

This presents the possibility of him participating in an Ashes match without being attached to a domestic team

His deal at his county concluded at the finish of the English season

Expected Selection

Still, an visiting team including Wood, Archer, Gus Atkinson, skipper Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - each of whom are able to achieve 90 miles per hour - continues to be the probable result

The opening match commences at early morning GMT on Friday, with instant commentary, specialist radio coverage and in-play highlights available

England Squad

Team lineup for series opener: Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, Harry Brook, Stokes (captain), Smith (gloveman), Atkinson, Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Past Experience

Even though a various English Ashes victories at home and abroad have been founded on quick bowling, they have never fielded as many express pace bowlers in the same team

The side that triumphed at home in the memorable competition of that year contained Harmison, Jones and Andrew Flintoff

The captain's triumphant visitors to Australia in 1970-71 had Willis, Lever and Snow, and the visiting team that succeeded in 1954-55 included Brian Statham and Tyson

Modern Context

This time around - one of the most eagerly anticipated England-Australia contests in modern times - the visitors are hoping to change an awful record - they have failed to win a five-day game in Australia since over a decade ago

Only five members of the 16-man squad have experienced a Test match in Australia, but Atkinson comments that could help the visitors

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

"There have been a many cricketers who have mentioned they have had challenging periods in this country

"In our case, we are a extremely composed, highly optimistic group

"No bad memories

"It's thrilling

"We all see it as a massive chance to do something special"

Opposition News

Australia's practice session on recently was temporarily interrupted by the threat of lightning

The hosts are expected to give a debut to batsman Weatherald, with uncapped pace bowler Brendan Doggett also coming in due to injuries to skipper Cummins and fellow seamer Hazlewood