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The English side has kept their options open for the first Ashes Test by naming spin bowler Bashir in a twelve-player team alongside five pace bowlers

The fast bowler has been passed fit and is expected to participate against Australia in Western Australia on Friday, with the ultimate choice likely coming down to the young spinner and seamer Brydon Carse

Pitch Conditions

If England opt for an pace-only bowling lineup - four main pacers combined with multi-skilled player Stokes - it would possibly be the quickest collection of seamers they have fielded in an Test against Australia in the host nation

Earlier this week Western Australia groundsman Isaac McDonald commented to anticipate "pace and bounce" from the wicket at the stadium, and it seems likely the tourists will stick to a long-standing plan of an fast bowling focus

Yet the visitors have also noted a arid quality to the pitch, bringing the off-spinner into consideration

Slow Bowling Factors

Throughout the limited timeframe of the ground - five previous Tests have been played here - Australia off-spinner the experienced spinner is the leading wicket-taker with 29 dismissals

England have supported Shoaib, 22, as their main slow bowler for more than a year and in spring he was recognized as the least experienced English bowler to reach 50 wickets in international Tests

However he has missed a first-class game after claiming the final wicket in a thrilling win over India in the third Test at the famous ground in recently

Current Concerns

He has been suffering from a finger injury and found it difficult in England's only warm-up match against the development squad, returning match figures of 2-151 from 24 overs

It also raises the scenario of him participating in an Ashes match without being contracted with a domestic team

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

Probable Team

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

The first Test starts at early morning GMT on the weekend, with instant commentary, Test Match Special commentary and live action clips accessible

England Squad

Team lineup for series opener: Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Team Background

Although a several successful Ashes campaigns at home and abroad have been founded on quick bowling, they have not previously used as numerous fast bowlers in the identical lineup

The lineup that succeeded at in England in the famous series of 2005 included Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff

The captain's winning English side to Australia in those years had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and Snow, and the visiting team that succeeded in that period featured Statham and Tyson

Present Circumstances

In this instance - one of the most eagerly anticipated England-Australia contests in recent years - the visitors are hoping to overturn an difficult past - they have been unable to secure a Test match in the host country since 2011

Merely five individuals of the sixteen-player group have participated in a Test in Australia, but the bowler comments that could work in England's favour

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

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

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

"No bad memories

"It's thrilling

"Everyone considers it a massive chance to achieve something remarkable"

Host Team Situation

The host team's training on Wednesday was briefly delayed by the possibility of bad weather

The home side are probably going to provide an opportunity to batsman Weatherald, with yet to debut pace bowler Brendan Doggett also being included after health issues to captain Cummins and fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood