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The tourists have left decisions open for the series opener by including slow bowler Shoaib Bashir in a twelve-player team combined with five fast bowlers

Wood has been passed fit and is expected to participate facing the hosts in Western Australia on the coming Friday, with the final decision probably involving the young spinner and fast bowler the seamer

Ground Situation

Should England choose an all-pace attack - four main pacers plus all-rounder the captain - it would arguably be the fastest group of seamers they have fielded in an Test against Australia in the host nation

On Wednesday WA groundsman the curator said to look for "pace and bounce" from the surface at the venue, and it seems likely England will stick to a long-standing plan of an pace-only strategy

However the English team have also spotted a arid quality to the surface, putting the spinner into the running

Spin Considerations

During the brief existence of Perth Stadium - five previous Tests have been played here - Australian spin bowler the experienced spinner is the most successful bowler with 29

The English management have supported Bashir, 22, as their first-choice spinner for since last year and in spring he became the least experienced English bowler to attain fifty wickets in international Tests

However he has been absent from a first-class game since taking the concluding scalp in a dramatic victory over the Indian team in the third match at the famous ground in recently

Recent Challenges

He has been out with a finger injury and found it difficult in the single preparation match against the development squad, recording combined figures of 2-151 from 24 overs

This creates the prospect of him participating in an Ashes match without being attached to a county

The agreement at the domestic team expired at the conclusion of the domestic season

Expected Selection

Nevertheless, an English side including Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Atkinson, leader Stokes and Carse - all of whom are able to achieve 90 miles per hour - continues to be the expected conclusion

The opening match starts at early morning GMT on Friday, with instant commentary, Test Match Special commentary and real-time features available

England Squad

Selected players for initial Ashes match: Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, Harry Brook, Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (gloveman), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Wood, Jofra Archer, Bashir

Past Experience

While a number of successful Ashes campaigns at home and abroad have been built on pace, they have never fielded as many express pace bowlers in the same team

The lineup that triumphed at in England in the famous series of 2005 featured Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Flintoff

Illingworth's triumphant visitors to the host nation in that era had Willis, Peter Lever and Snow, and the English side that won in that period contained Statham and Tyson

Present Circumstances

This time around - among the most highly anticipated Ashes series in modern times - England are looking to overturn an difficult past - they have not won a Test in the host country since that year

Just five players of the 16-man squad have experienced a Test in Australia, but Atkinson says that could work in England's favour

"This could represent an benefit," he explained to reporters

"There have been a numerous athletes who have said they have had challenging periods down under

"For us, we are a extremely composed, very positive team

"No negative experiences

"It's thrilling

"We all see it as a great possibility to create history"

Host Team Situation

The Australian practice session on Wednesday was momentarily paused by the threat of lightning

Australia are likely to give a debut to opener Weatherald, with uncapped pace bowler Brendan Doggett also coming in following health issues to skipper Pat Cummins and colleague Josh Hazlewood