England Announce 12-Man Squad For First Ashes Test in Perth

England included spinner Shoaib Bashir in their 12-man squad for the first Ashes Test against Australia.

England have named off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a 12-man squad for the first Ashes Test in Perth. The selection keeps their options open between playing a spinner or an all-pace attack.

Mark Wood has been passed fit and is expected to play. The final team decision appears to be between Bashir and seamer Brydon Carse.

England’s Ashes Squad For Perth Test

Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir.

England’s Selection Dilemma

If England chooses an all-pace attack, it would feature four specialist fast bowlers plus all-rounder Ben Stokes. This could be their fastest bowling lineup ever fielded in an Ashes Test in Australia.

The Perth Stadium pitch is expected to favor pace. Western Australia pitch curator Isaac McDonald said to expect “pace and bounce” from the surface. England has long planned for an all-pace attack on such tracks.

However, tourists have noted some dryness in the pitch, bringing Bashir into consideration. Australia’s Nathan Lyon is the leading wicket-taker at this venue with 29 wickets from five previous Tests.

England has backed the 22-year-old Bashir as their first-choice spinner for over a year. In May, he became the youngest England bowler to reach 50 Test wickets. But Bashir hasn’t played competitively since July due to a broken finger. He struggled in England’s warm-up match, returning figures of 2-151 from 24 overs.

The squad also raises the possibility of Bashir playing without a county contract, as his Somerset deal expired after the English summer.

An all-pace attack featuring Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Stokes, and Carse remains the most likely outcome. All five bowlers can reach speeds of 90mph.

Nevertheless, the home side are expected to give a debut to opener Jack Weatherald, with uncapped pace bowler Brendan Doggett also coming in following injuries to captain Pat Cummins and and fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood.