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The English side has maintained flexibility for the initial Ashes match by selecting off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a twelve-player team alongside five pace bowlers

Mark Wood has recovered and appears likely to feature versus the Aussies in Western Australia on Friday, with the last selection probably between off-spinner Bashir and fast bowler Carse

Wicket Factors

If England opt for an pace-only bowling lineup - four main pacers plus all-rounder the captain - it would arguably be the quickest collection of pacemen they have fielded in an Ashes match in Australia

Recently Western Australia wicket preparer Isaac McDonald stated to anticipate "fast and bouncy conditions" from the wicket at the venue, and it appears probable the tourists will follow a long-standing plan of an pace-only strategy

However the visitors have also observed a arid quality to the wicket, bringing Bashir into the running

Slow Bowling Factors

In the short history of the ground - five earlier Tests have been hosted here - Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the top wicket-taker with twenty-nine

The team have backed Bashir, 22, as their first-choice spinner for since last year and in spring he was recognized as the youngest England bowler to reach fifty wickets in Tests

However he has not played a competitive game since taking the final wicket in a exciting triumph over India in the third Test at Lord's in recently

Current Concerns

He has been recovering from a broken finger and found it difficult in England's only warm-up match against the development squad, returning combined figures of 2 for 151 from twenty-four overs

This creates the prospect of Bashir participating in an Ashes Test without being affiliated with a county

His contract at the domestic team expired at the end of the home summer

Probable Team

However, an visiting team featuring Wood, Jofra Archer, Atkinson, skipper Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are capable of reaching high speeds - continues to be the probable result

The initial game commences at 2:20 AM GMT on Friday, with real-time updates, specialist radio coverage and in-play highlights available

Team Selection

England squad for first Ashes Test: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Pope, Root, Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Smith (wicketkeeper), Gus Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Bashir

Team Background

Although a various English Ashes victories at in England and overseas have been constructed around fast bowling, they have not previously used as many express pace bowlers in the identical lineup

The side that succeeded at home in the famous series of that year contained Steve Harmison, Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Illingworth's winning English side to Australia in that era had Willis, Lever and Snow, and the visiting team that succeeded in those seasons contained Brian Statham and Tyson

Modern Context

This time around - potentially the most exciting Ashes series in recent memory - the English team are hoping to overturn an poor history - they have been unable to secure a Test match in the host country since that year

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

"This could represent an benefit," he explained to reporters

"There are a numerous athletes who have said they have had some tough times here in Australia

"Regarding our team, we are a very relaxed, extremely confident group

"No negative experiences

"It's exhilarating

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

Australian Preparations

The host team's net session on Wednesday was temporarily interrupted by the threat of lightning

The hosts are probably going to hand a first cap to batsman Jack Weatherald, with new fast bowler Brendan Doggett also being included due to health issues to captain Pat Cummins and teammate Josh Hazlewood