Shoaib Bashir Earns Unexpected Selection in English Test Series Team

The English team has opted for a twelve-player selection just 48 hours ahead of the first Ashes Test, with Shoaib Bashir earning a unexpected spot.

Bashir's selection suggests that the tourists will wait until the morning of the initial match to decide whether Perth Stadium conditions suit four seamers or the inclusion of a spinner.

Both pace bowlers are part of the 12-man group, showing there are no doubts about their pace bowler’s fitness.

Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse round out the bowling group, with Carse expected to miss out if Bashir enters the final team.

Ground Conditions Favor Seamers

Brendon McCullum had been expected to opt for an pace-only lineup on a ground that has hosted several past matches.

In those matches, 134 wickets have fallen to seamers, with only a small number to spin.

Of those spin dismissals, Australia’s Nathan Lyon has taken 29, while overseas slow bowlers combined have only eight.

On a ground renowned for its pace and bounce, and whose curator, Isaac McDonald, pledged that these characteristics are “permanent and not going to change,” a side relying on fast bowlers is still the probable decision.

Spin Options Considered

There had been rumors that Will Jacks could be brought into the side to provide some spin while also bolstering the lower order.

But McCullum has chosen to stick with the young spinner, having said earlier this year that he would be his preferred slow bowler for the Ashes.

Earlier, Nathan Lyon described the English spinner as “OK,” saying that “in my eyes, Jack Leach is still England’s top slow bowler.”

“It is a massive role, and it can be a massive challenge for people who haven’t done it in the past in these conditions,” Lyon said of slow bowling in Australian Tests.

“I won't reveal my strategies so they come out and perform well out here.”

English Selected Team for First Ashes Test

• The Captain
• The Pace Bowler
• Gus Atkinson
• Shoaib Bashir
• The Batsman
• The Fast Bowler
• The Opener
• Ben Duckett
• Ollie Pope
• Joe Root
• Jamie Smith (wk)
• The Speedster