England announced their XII for the first Ashes Test against Australia, starting in Perth on Friday. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was included in the players’ list, as was Mark Wood, who has cleared a fitness test and will most likely feature in the playing XI.
The 22-year-old’s inclusion could also be because of Nathan Lyon’s track record at the Perth Stadium, where he is the leading wicket-taker with 29 scalps. Bashir has not played for England since the third Test match against India at Lord’s in July.
Perth Stadium curator Issac McDonald said on Wednesday that there was no directive from anybody regarding the type of pitch they would like to play on for the series opener.
“Absolutely no directives from anyone ever, which has been the case in cricket for a long time and I’m gonna say forever, that just doesn’t happen.”
“Low and slow, I think it’s just not possible. The west Test is pace and bounce and that’s what we’re gonna stick to,” McDonald told the press.
England did not play a Test match at this venue during the 2021-22 Ashes series, with Hobart hosting the fifth and final Test of the series, which the visitors lost 4-0. They have not won a Test match in Australia since the 2010-11 tour.
It remains the only Ashes series so far, where two Day-Night Tests were played, with Adelaide and Hobart both hosting the pink ball Test matches. The 2024-25 Ashes series will see the Gabba in Brisbane play host to the Day-Night Test from December 4-8. Pat Cummins is likely to fit in time for that Test after being ruled out of the series opener.
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England squad for first Ashes Test: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir.
