🔗 Share this article Shoaib Bashir Earns Unexpected Inclusion in English Test Series Team The English team has chosen a twelve-player selection just two days ahead of the opening Test match, with Shoaib Bashir securing a unexpected spot. The 22-year-old’s inclusion suggests that the visiting team will delay until the morning of the initial match to decide whether Perth Stadium pitch suit four seamers or the addition of a spinner. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are included in the 12-man squad, showing there are no concerns about their fast bowler's fitness. Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse round out the bowling group, with Carse most likely to miss out if Bashir enters the final team. Ground Conditions Lean Toward Pace Bowlers Brendon McCullum had been anticipated to opt for an pace-only lineup on a venue that has staged five past matches. During these games, 134 wickets have fallen to pace bowling, with only 40 to spin bowling. Of those spin dismissals, Australia’s Nathan Lyon has taken the bulk, while all visiting spinners together have just a handful. At a venue renowned for its pace and bounce, and whose groundsman, the pitch preparer, stated that these characteristics are “permanent and not going to change,” a team loaded with fast bowlers remains the more likely decision. Alternative Choices Weighed Previously there was speculation that the all-rounder could be parachuted into the team to provide some slow bowling while also bolstering the lower order. But McCullum has chosen to stick with Bashir, having said earlier this year that he would be his first-choice spinner for the series. Earlier, Lyon commented on Bashir as “decent,” saying that “in my eyes, the experienced spinner is still England’s top slow bowler.” “It is a massive role, and it can be a significant test for people who lack experience in the previous in these conditions,” he said of spin bowling in Australian Tests. “I’m not going to let my secrets out so they perform and excel out here.” England 12-man Squad for Opening Match Ben Stokes (c) Jofra Archer Gus Atkinson Shoaib Bashir The Batsman The Fast Bowler Zak Crawley The Batsman Ollie Pope The Veteran Jamie Smith (wk) The Speedster