Shoaib Bashir a surprise inclusion in England squad for first Ashes Test

England have hedged their bets two days out from the start of the Ashes by naming a 12-man squad for the first Test, with Shoaib Bashir a surprise inclusion. The 22-year-old’s presence on the list suggests they intend to wait until they can assess conditions at Perth Stadium on the morning of the game before deciding whether to choose four seamers, or to make space for some spin.

Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are both in the 12-man selection, indicating that there are no doubts about either player’s fitness. Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse complete the bowling group, with the latter most likely to miss out should Bashir make the starting XI.

Brendon McCullum, the England coach, had been expected to opt for an all-seam attack on a ground that has hosted five previous Tests – two against India and one against each of New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies – in which 134 wickets have fallen to pace bowling and only 40 to spin.

Of those 40 wickets Australia’s Nathan Lyon has been responsible for 29 and all visiting spinners combined only eight. On a ground known for its pace and bounce – and whose curator, Isaac McDonald, pledged on Wednesday that those characteristics are “a mainstay and not going to change” – a team loaded with seamers remains the more likely decision.

There had been speculation that Will Jacks could be parachuted into the team to provide some spin while also bolstering the lower order, but McCullum has opted to keep faith with Bashir, having said earlier this year that he would be his first-choice spinner in this series.