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The English side has kept their options open for the series opener by selecting slow bowler Bashir in a squad of twelve together with five pace bowlers

Mark Wood is declared fit and is expected to participate against Australia in Perth on the weekend, with the last selection likely between off-spinner Bashir and fast bowler Brydon Carse

Wicket Factors

If the visitors select an fast bowling unit - four main pacers along with multi-skilled player the captain - it would arguably be the fastest group of bowlers they have fielded in an Ashes Test in Australia

Earlier this week local pitch curator Isaac McDonald stated to look for "speed and bounce" from the pitch at Perth Stadium, and it appears probable the tourists will stick to a traditional approach of an pace-only strategy

Yet the English team have also noted a dryness to the wicket, bringing Bashir into contention

Spinning Options

During the brief existence of this venue - five earlier Tests have been hosted here - Australian off-spinner Lyon is the leading wicket-taker with 29 dismissals

England have supported the young spinner, 22, as their primary spin option for over twelve months and in recent months he became the most youthful English bowler to achieve half-century of wickets in Tests

But he has missed a official match following taking the final wicket in a dramatic victory over India in the final Test at the famous ground in summer

Current Concerns

He has been out with a broken finger and had challenges in England's only warm-up match against England Lions, returning combined figures of two wickets for 151 runs from 24 overs

It also raises the prospect of him competing in an Ashes Test without being contracted with a county

His deal at the domestic team ended at the finish of the English season

Probable Team

However, an visiting team including Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, captain Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - every one of them are capable of reaching 90mph - continues to be the most likely outcome

The initial game commences at 2:20 AM GMT on the weekend, with live text coverage, specialist radio coverage and live action clips available

Playing Group

England squad for initial Ashes match: Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (leader), Jamie Smith (wk), Atkinson, Carse, Wood, Archer, Shoaib Bashir

Historical Context

Although a number of English Ashes victories at domestically and internationally have been constructed around fast bowling, they have never fielded as numerous fast bowlers in the identical lineup

The team that won at domestically in the famous series of 2005 included Harmison, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's triumphant visitors to the host nation in those years had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and Snow, and the visiting team that won in that period featured Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Present Circumstances

In this instance - among the most highly anticipated England-Australia contests in recent memory - the English team are hoping to change an awful record - they have not won a Test match in the host country since 2011

Only five members of the sixteen-player group have participated in a Test match in Australia, but Atkinson says that could benefit the English team

"This might be an benefit," he told media outlets

"There are a lot of players who have mentioned they have had difficult experiences in this country

"In our case, we are a quite calm, very positive team

"No scarring

"It's exhilarating

"The entire team views it as a massive chance to do something special"

Australian Preparations

The Australian training on this week was briefly delayed by the risk of storms

The home side are expected to hand a first cap to opener Weatherald, with new seamer Brendan Doggett also coming in due to health issues to skipper Cummins and colleague Josh Hazlewood