The Young Spinner Earns Unexpected Inclusion in English Ashes Squad
The English team has chosen a twelve-player selection just two days ahead of the opening Test match, with Shoaib Bashir securing a surprise place.
The 22-year-old’s selection indicates that the visiting team will delay until the morning of the first Test to decide whether Perth Stadium pitch suit a pace-heavy attack or the inclusion of a spin bowler.
Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are part of the 12-man group, showing there are no concerns about either pace bowler’s fitness.
Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse round out the bowling group, with Carse most likely to miss out if the spinner makes the starting XI.
Pitch Factors Favor Pace Bowlers
Brendon McCullum had been expected to opt for an pace-only lineup on a ground that has hosted five previous Tests.
During these games, 134 wickets have been taken by seamers, with only 40 to spin bowling.
Among these spin dismissals, the veteran spinner has taken 29, while overseas slow bowlers together have just a handful.
At a venue known for its pace and bounce, and whose groundsman, Isaac McDonald, stated that these traits are “permanent and not going to change,” a team loaded with seamers is still the more likely decision.
Spin Options Weighed
There had been rumors that Will Jacks could be brought into the side to offer some spin while also bolstering the lower order.
However McCullum has opted to stick with Bashir, having stated earlier this year that he would be his first-choice slow bowler for the Ashes.
In July, Nathan Lyon described Bashir as “OK,” saying that “from my perspective, the experienced spinner is still England’s best spinner.”
“This is a huge responsibility, and it can be a massive challenge for bowlers who haven’t done it in the previous in these conditions,” he remarked of slow bowling in Australian Tests.
“I won't reveal my strategies so they come out and excel out here.”
England Selected Team for First Ashes Test
- The Captain
- The Pace Bowler
- Gus Atkinson
- Shoaib Bashir
- The Batsman
- Brydon Carse
- The Opener
- Ben Duckett
- The Middle-Order
- Joe Root
- Jamie Smith (wk)
- Mark Wood