🔗 Share this article The Young Spinner Earns Surprise Inclusion in English Test Series Team The English team has chosen a twelve-player selection just 48 hours before the first Ashes Test, with Shoaib Bashir securing a unexpected place. The 22-year-old’s selection suggests that the visiting team will delay until the morning of the first Test to decide whether Perth Stadium pitch favor four seamers or the addition of a spin bowler. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are included in the selected squad, showing there are no doubts about either fast bowler's condition. Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse round out the attack, with the latter most likely to miss out if Bashir enters the starting XI. Pitch Factors Favor Seamers Brendon McCullum had been expected to opt for an all-seam attack on a venue that has hosted five past matches. During these matches, the majority of dismissals have fallen to pace bowling, with only a small number to spin bowling. Of those 40 wickets, Australia’s Nathan Lyon has claimed the bulk, while overseas slow bowlers together have just a handful. At a venue known for its speed and carry, and whose groundsman, the pitch preparer, pledged that these characteristics are “a mainstay and not going to change,” a side loaded with fast bowlers remains the more likely decision. Alternative Choices Weighed Previously there was rumors that Will Jacks could be brought into the team to provide some slow bowling while additionally strengthening the batting lineup. However the coach has opted to keep faith with the young spinner, having stated previously that he would be his first-choice spinner for the Ashes. In July, Lyon described the English spinner as “decent,” saying that “from my perspective, the experienced spinner is still England’s best spinner.” “It is a massive role, and it can be a massive challenge for bowlers who lack experience in the previous in these conditions,” Lyon said of spin bowling in matches Down Under. “I’m not going to let my secrets out so opponents come out and excel out here.” English 12-man Squad for First Ashes Test The Captain The Pace Bowler Gus Atkinson The Spinner Harry Brook Brydon Carse Zak Crawley The Batsman The Middle-Order Joe Root The Wicketkeeper Mark Wood