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The English side has left decisions open for the initial Ashes match by selecting off-spinner Bashir in a twelve-player team alongside five fast bowlers

Wood has been passed fit and seems set to play against Australia in Perth on Friday, with the final decision possibly involving spinner Bashir and seamer Carse

Wicket Factors

Should England choose an all-pace attack - four specialists plus all-rounder Stokes - it would arguably be the quickest collection of pacemen they have deployed in an Test against Australia in this country

Recently local groundsman the curator commented to expect "pace and bounce" from the surface at Perth Stadium, and it seems likely the English will adhere to a long-standing plan of an fast bowling focus

But the English team have also spotted a dryness to the surface, putting the off-spinner into the running

Spinning Options

In the short history of the ground - five earlier Tests have been played here - Australia spin bowler Lyon is the top wicket-taker with 29

England have favored Shoaib, 22, as their main slow bowler for more than a year and in recent months he became the youngest England bowler to attain fifty wickets in international Tests

Yet he has not played a official match after taking the concluding scalp in a dramatic victory over India in the third Test at the famous ground in recently

Current Concerns

Bashir has been suffering from a broken finger and struggled in England's only warm-up match against the Lions, recording combined figures of two wickets for 151 runs from 24 overs

This presents the scenario of the spinner competing in an Test against Australia without being attached to a domestic team

The agreement at Somerset concluded at the finish of the English season

Likely Lineup

However, an England team containing Mark Wood, Archer, Atkinson, captain Stokes and Carse - each of whom are likely to hit high speeds - stays the most likely outcome

The initial game commences at 2:20 AM GMT on Friday, with instant commentary, expert analysis and in-play highlights provided

England Squad

Selected players for series opener: Duckett, Zak Crawley, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (leader), Smith (gloveman), Gus Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Archer, Bashir

Team Background

While a various English Ashes victories at domestically and internationally have been constructed around fast bowling, they have not previously used as multiple quick bowlers in the same team

The side that triumphed at home in the memorable competition of 2005 included Steve Harmison, Jones and Flintoff

Illingworth's triumphant visitors to Australia in that era had Willis, Peter Lever and Snow, and the visiting team that triumphed in that period contained Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Modern Context

This time around - one of the most eagerly anticipated Test series in recent memory - the English team are looking to reverse an poor history - they have not won a five-day game in the host country since that year

Only five members of the sixteen-player group have experienced a Test match in Australia, but the bowler states that could help the visitors

"This might be an advantage," he explained to media outlets

"We've seen a numerous athletes who have stated they have had difficult experiences here in Australia

"Regarding our team, we are a extremely composed, highly optimistic team

"No bad memories

"It's very exciting

"The entire team views it as a huge opportunity to do something special"

Australian Preparations

The Australian net session on this week was briefly delayed by the threat of lightning

Australia are expected to hand a first cap to batsman Jack Weatherald, with uncapped seamer Doggett also joining following health issues to captain Cummins and colleague Josh Hazlewood