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The tourists have maintained flexibility for the first Ashes Test by including off-spinner the young spinner in a twelve-player team alongside five fast bowlers

Mark Wood has recovered and seems set to play against Australia in Western Australia on the weekend, with the ultimate choice probably coming down to off-spinner Bashir and pace bowler Brydon Carse

Wicket Factors

Should England choose an fast bowling unit - four main pacers along with multi-skilled player Stokes - it would potentially be the quickest collection of bowlers they have fielded in an Ashes Test in Australia

On Wednesday local groundsman the curator stated to look for "pace and bounce" from the wicket at Perth Stadium, and it appears probable the English will follow a long-standing plan of an pace-only strategy

But the visitors have also spotted a lack of moisture to the pitch, putting the spinner into the running

Spin Considerations

Throughout the limited timeframe of this venue - five previous Tests have been staged here - Australia spin bowler Nathan Lyon is the most successful bowler with twenty-nine

The team have supported the young spinner, 22 years old, as their main slow bowler for more than a year and in recent months he became the most youthful English bowler to achieve fifty wickets in Test matches

Yet he has missed a competitive game since claiming the last dismissal in a thrilling win over India in the third match at the famous ground in recently

Recent Challenges

The spinner has been out with a hand problem and struggled in the sole practice game against England Lions, returning combined figures of 2 for 151 from his bowling spell

This presents the prospect of him competing in an Ashes match without being affiliated with a county

His deal at his county expired at the end of the home summer

Likely Lineup

Still, an visiting team including Mark Wood, Archer, Gus Atkinson, skipper Stokes and Brydon Carse - each of whom are capable of reaching 90mph - remains the probable result

The initial game begins at 2:20 AM GMT on Friday, with instant commentary, Test Match Special commentary and real-time features provided

Team Selection

Team lineup for first Ashes Test: Ben Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (skipper), Smith (wk), Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Archer, Bashir

Team Background

Even though a various England Ashes triumphs at home and abroad have been founded on quick bowling, they have not previously selected as multiple quick bowlers in the identical lineup

The team that triumphed at in England in the celebrated contest of 2005 Ashes featured Steve Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's triumphant visitors to the host nation in 1970-71 had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and John Snow, and the visiting team that triumphed in that period featured Statham and Tyson

Current Situation

This time around - potentially the most exciting England-Australia contests in recent years - England are hoping to reverse an difficult past - they have been unable to secure a five-day game in the host country since over a decade ago

Just five players of the 16-man squad have experienced a Test match in the host nation, but the bowler comments that could benefit the English team

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

"We've seen a lot of players who have mentioned they have had some tough times down under

"Regarding our team, we are a very relaxed, very positive group

"No negative experiences

"It's exhilarating

"Everyone considers it a great possibility to do something special"

Australian Preparations

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

The hosts are probably going to give a debut to opener Weatherald, with new seamer Brendan Doggett also coming in after health issues to captain Pat Cummins and colleague Hazlewood