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The English side has maintained flexibility for the initial Ashes match by naming off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a twelve-player team combined with five seamers

Mark Wood is declared fit and seems set to play facing the hosts in Western Australia on Friday, with the last selection likely involving the young spinner and fast bowler Carse

Wicket Factors

If the visitors select an fast bowling unit - four main pacers along with multi-skilled player Stokes - it would arguably be the quickest collection of seamers they have fielded in an Ashes Test in Australia

Earlier this week WA pitch curator the curator said to look for "fast and bouncy conditions" from the pitch at Perth Stadium, and it seems likely the tourists will follow a long-standing plan of an pace-only strategy

But the tourists have also spotted a dryness to the surface, bringing the off-spinner into consideration

Slow Bowling Factors

In the short history of the ground - five prior matches have been staged here - Australian off-spinner the experienced spinner is the most successful bowler with 29

The team have supported Bashir, twenty-two, as their main slow bowler for since last year and in spring he achieved the least experienced English bowler to reach fifty wickets in international Tests

Yet he has not played a first-class game following securing the final wicket in a exciting triumph over the Indian team in the final Test at the famous ground in recently

Recent Issues

He has been out with a hand problem and found it difficult in the single preparation match against the Lions, recording match figures of 2 for 151 from his bowling spell

It also raises the prospect of the spinner participating in an Test against Australia without being attached to a county

His contract at Somerset expired at the conclusion of the domestic season

Probable Team

Still, an visiting team containing Mark Wood, Archer, Atkinson, captain Ben Stokes and Carse - every one of them are capable of reaching 90mph - remains the most likely outcome

The first Test begins at 02:20 GMT on Friday, with instant commentary, specialist radio coverage and live action clips provided

Playing Group

Team lineup for series opener: Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Ben Stokes (skipper), Smith (wk), Atkinson, Carse, Wood, Archer, Bashir

Historical Context

While a number of successful Ashes campaigns at domestically and internationally have been constructed around fast bowling, they have never fielded as many express pace bowlers in the same team

The team that succeeded at home in the famous series of 2005 featured Steve Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

Raymond Illingworth's winning English side to Australia in that era had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and Snow, and the England team that triumphed in that period included Brian Statham and Tyson

Present Circumstances

In this instance - among the most highly anticipated Ashes series in recent years - the English team are aiming to change an difficult past - they have been unable to secure a five-day game in Australia since over a decade ago

Merely five individuals of the extended squad have experienced a Test in Australia, but Atkinson comments that could benefit the English team

"This might be an advantage," he told reporters

"There have been a lot of players who have mentioned they have had some tough times here in Australia

"In our case, we are a extremely composed, extremely confident squad

"No negative experiences

"It's very exciting

"We all see it as a great possibility to achieve something remarkable"

Opposition News

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

The home side are likely to give a debut to opener Weatherald, with yet to debut fast bowler Doggett also joining due to health issues to captain Cummins and teammate Josh Hazlewood