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The tourists have maintained flexibility for the initial Ashes match by including slow bowler Shoaib Bashir in a squad of twelve alongside five pace bowlers

Mark Wood has been passed fit and seems set to play against Australia in Western Australia on the weekend, with the final decision possibly involving off-spinner Bashir and fast bowler the seamer

Ground Situation

If the visitors select an all-pace attack - four dedicated bowlers combined with all-rounder the captain - it would arguably be the most rapid assembly of seamers they have used in an Test against Australia in this country

On Wednesday Western Australia groundsman McDonald stated to anticipate "fast and bouncy conditions" from the surface at the venue, and it looks possible England will follow a established strategy of an exclusively pace attack

Yet the visitors have also noted a lack of moisture to the pitch, putting Bashir into the running

Spinning Options

During the brief existence of the ground - five earlier Tests have been played here - Australia off-spinner Lyon is the top wicket-taker with 29 dismissals

England have favored Shoaib, 22 years old, as their first-choice spinner for more than a year and in May he became the youngest England bowler to reach half-century of wickets in Test matches

However he has been absent from a first-class game after claiming the last dismissal in a exciting triumph over the Indian team in the third match at Lord's in summer

Recent Issues

The spinner has been recovering from a broken finger and found it difficult in the single preparation match against the development squad, posting combined figures of 2 for 151 from his bowling spell

It also raises the possibility of him participating in an Ashes match without being affiliated with a county

His contract at his county expired at the conclusion of the domestic season

Likely Lineup

Nevertheless, an English side featuring Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Atkinson, captain Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are able to achieve 90 miles per hour - stays the probable result

The opening match begins at 02:20 GMT on Friday, with real-time updates, Test Match Special commentary and in-play highlights provided

Playing Group

England squad for initial Ashes match: Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Ben Stokes (leader), Smith (wicketkeeper), Atkinson, Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Bashir

Team Background

While a various English Ashes victories at in England and overseas have been founded on quick bowling, they have not previously selected as multiple quick bowlers in the identical lineup

The side that triumphed at domestically in the celebrated contest of 2005 Ashes contained Harmison, Simon Jones and Flintoff

The captain's triumphant visitors to the host nation in those years had Willis, Lever and John Snow, and the English side that won in those seasons contained Statham and Tyson

Current Situation

This time around - potentially the most exciting Ashes series in modern times - England are aiming to reverse an awful record - they have not won a Test match in Australia since over a decade ago

Merely five individuals of the extended squad have played a Test in the host nation, but Atkinson says that could help the visitors

"This might be an benefit," he explained to reporters

"There are a numerous athletes who have mentioned they have had some tough times down under

"In our case, we are a quite calm, extremely confident team

"No scarring

"It's exhilarating

"We all see it as a great possibility to do something special"

Australian Preparations

Australia's practice session on recently was briefly delayed by the risk of storms

The hosts are probably going to give a debut to batsman Weatherald, with uncapped fast bowler Brendan Doggett also coming in after fitness concerns to captain Cummins and colleague Hazlewood