England have kept their bowling options flexible for the first Ashes Test by naming off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a 12-man squad alongside four frontline fast bowlers. The inclusion gives captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum the choice between an all-pace blitz or a more traditional combination on Perth’s lively surface.​

Speed or Spin Dilemma

With the pitch at Optus Stadium expected to be fast and bouncy, England face a crucial decision on Friday morning. They can either unleash an all-pace quartet of Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, and Brydon Carse—all capable of hitting 90 mph—or include Bashir as a fifth bowling option alongside the four seamers plus Stokes.​

Not since the days of John Snow and Bob Willis during England’s triumphant 1970-71 Ashes campaign have they fielded such a formidable array of genuine quicks in Australia.​

Wood Passes Fitness Test

Veteran fast bowler Mark Wood proved his fitness with a fiery 40-minute spell in the nets on Tuesday after suffering hamstring tightness during England’s warm-up match against the Lions last week. The 35-year-old, who took a career-best 6/37 in Hobart during the 2021-22 tour, bowled at impressive speeds to ease concerns about his readiness.​

Selectors are expected to delay their final decision on the XI until the last moment, giving Wood maximum time to prove he can handle the workload.​

Carse Preferred Over Tongue

Brydon Carse edged out Josh Tongue for the fourth seamer’s spot, completing a pace quartet with serious firepower. The Durham quick’s ability to bowl extended spells at high pace made him the preferred option for Perth’s demanding conditions.​

Pope Holds Position

Ollie Pope retained his number three spot ahead of Jacob Bethell despite coming into the tour under immense pressure after losing the vice-captaincy to Harry Brook. However, Pope found form in the warm-up game with a century and 90 against England Lions, convincing selectors to stick with experience.​

The batting lineup features openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, followed by Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Stokes, and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.​

Bashir’s Australian Characteristics

Despite struggling in the warm-up match, Bashir’s inclusion reflects England’s belief that his bowling style suits Australian conditions. His high release point and ability to generate overspin are characteristics Stokes and McCullum raved about when selecting him for the India tour at the start of 2024.​

The 21-year-old from Somerset could provide crucial control if England opt for a more balanced attack, especially if Wood isn’t 100% fit.​

Historical Precedent

England last fielded an XI without a specialist spinner in a red-ball match in Australia on Boxing Day 1998. More recently, they tried it twice during the 2021-22 Ashes—in Adelaide and Hobart—with mixed results. The Adelaide experiment was later acknowledged as an error when seamer Ollie Robinson resorted to bowling off-spin.​

Complete Squad

England 12-man squad for Perth Test: Ben Stokes ©, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Mark Wood.​

The first Test begins Friday at 10:20 AM local time (2:30 AM GMT), with England aiming to exploit Australia’s injury crisis—Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are both ruled out—to end their 15-year Ashes drought Down Under.​