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The tourists have left decisions open for the initial Ashes match by naming off-spinner Bashir in a twelve-player team alongside five pace bowlers

The fast bowler has recovered and is expected to participate against Australia in Perth on the weekend, with the final decision possibly between the young spinner and seamer Brydon Carse

Pitch Conditions

Should England choose an pace-only bowling lineup - four main pacers along with all-rounder Stokes - it would potentially be the fastest group of pacemen they have used in an Ashes match in this country

Recently local wicket preparer the curator said to expect "speed and bounce" from the surface at the venue, and it seems likely the English will follow a long-standing plan of an fast bowling focus

However the visitors have also spotted a lack of moisture to the pitch, placing the off-spinner into contention

Slow Bowling Factors

Throughout the limited timeframe of this venue - five previous Tests have been played here - Australia spin bowler the experienced spinner is the leading wicket-taker with 29

The team have favored Bashir, 22 years old, as their first-choice spinner for more than a year and in spring he was recognized as the least experienced English bowler to reach fifty wickets in Tests

But he has been absent from a first-class game following taking the final wicket in a dramatic victory over India in the third match at the famous ground in summer

Recent Challenges

He has been recovering from a hand problem and struggled in the single preparation match against the Lions, returning match figures of two wickets for 151 runs from twenty-four overs

This creates the possibility of Bashir playing in an Ashes match without being affiliated with a county

His deal at the domestic team concluded at the finish of the English season

Likely Lineup

Nevertheless, an English side including Mark Wood, Archer, Atkinson, skipper Ben Stokes and Carse - every one of them are able to achieve 90mph - continues to be the most likely outcome

The opening match commences at 02:20 GMT on the weekend, with live text coverage, Test Match Special commentary and in-play highlights accessible

England Squad

Team lineup for initial Ashes match: Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Ben Stokes (skipper), Smith (wicketkeeper), Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Bashir

Historical Context

While a several English Ashes victories at domestically and internationally have been built on pace, they have never fielded as many express pace bowlers in the identical lineup

The lineup that triumphed at home in the celebrated contest of 2005 Ashes contained Harmison, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Illingworth's successful touring team to Australia in that era had Willis, Lever and John Snow, and the English side that succeeded in that period contained Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Modern Context

This time around - potentially the most exciting Ashes series in modern times - England are aiming to overturn an awful record - they have failed to win a five-day game in the host country since over a decade ago

Merely five individuals of the sixteen-player group have participated in a Test match in Australia, but the bowler comments that could benefit the English team

"This might be an benefit," he told the press

"There have been a numerous athletes who have said they have had challenging periods here in Australia

"For us, we are a quite calm, extremely confident group

"No bad memories

"It's very exciting

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

Australian Preparations

The host team's training on this week was momentarily paused by the possibility of bad weather

Australia are likely to give a debut to batsman Weatherald, with uncapped seamer Doggett also joining following fitness concerns to captain Pat Cummins and colleague Josh Hazlewood