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The English side has left decisions open for the first Ashes Test by including spin bowler Bashir in a twelve-player team together with five seamers

The fast bowler has recovered and seems set to play against Australia in Western Australia on the weekend, with the ultimate choice possibly involving the young spinner and fast bowler Carse

Pitch Conditions

If the visitors select an fast bowling unit - four dedicated bowlers plus multi-skilled player Stokes - it would arguably be the quickest collection of pacemen they have used in an Test against Australia in this country

Earlier this week WA groundsman Isaac McDonald said to expect "pace and bounce" from the pitch at the stadium, and it seems likely the tourists will adhere to a traditional approach of an exclusively pace attack

But the English team have also observed a lack of moisture to the pitch, placing the off-spinner into the running

Slow Bowling Factors

During the brief existence of Perth Stadium - five earlier Tests have been staged here - Australian off-spinner Lyon is the top wicket-taker with twenty-nine

The team have supported the young spinner, twenty-two, as their first-choice spinner for since last year and in May he achieved the most youthful English bowler to achieve 50 wickets in Tests

Yet he has missed a official match after securing the final wicket in a dramatic victory over India in the third Test at the famous ground in summer

Current Concerns

He has been out with a hand problem and struggled in England's only warm-up match against the Lions, recording combined figures of 2-151 from twenty-four overs

This creates the possibility of the spinner playing in an Ashes match without being attached to a county

His deal at the domestic team concluded at the end of the home summer

Expected Selection

Nevertheless, an English side featuring Mark Wood, Archer, Atkinson, skipper Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse - all of whom are able to achieve 90mph - stays the probable result

The initial game starts at 02:20 GMT on Friday, with instant commentary, specialist radio coverage and real-time features accessible

Playing Group

Selected players for series opener: Duckett, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Smith (wk), Atkinson, Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Bashir

Historical Context

While a various England Ashes triumphs at home and abroad have been built on pace, they have not previously used as many express pace bowlers in the identical lineup

The side that triumphed at home in the famous series of 2005 Ashes contained Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Flintoff

Illingworth's triumphant visitors to Australia in that era had Bob Willis, Peter Lever and Snow, and the England team that succeeded in 1954-55 included Statham and Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson

Present Circumstances

In this instance - one of the most eagerly anticipated Test series in recent years - the visitors are looking to overturn an awful record - they have been unable to secure a Test match in the host country since that year

Only five members of the sixteen-player group have participated in a Test match in the host nation, but Atkinson states that could work in England's favour

"This might be an benefit," he mentioned to media outlets

"There are a many cricketers who have stated they have had difficult experiences in this country

"Regarding our team, we are a very relaxed, extremely confident team

"No negative experiences

"It's very exciting

"The entire team views it as a huge opportunity to create history"

Australian Preparations

The host team's training on Wednesday was temporarily interrupted by the risk of storms

The home side are likely to provide an opportunity to batsman Jack Weatherald, with new seamer Brendan Doggett also joining following health issues to captain Pat Cummins and fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood