England have announced a 12-man group for the first Ashes Test in Perth, with Mark Wood declared fit and available for the series opener on Friday. Shoaib Bashir has also been included, setting up a final selection call between the young off-spinner and seamer Brydon Carse. The visitors are toying with the idea of unleashing a full-throttle pace unit on Australian soil. Conditions at the venue are expected to favour fast bowling, prompting England to consider a rare all-pace attack featuring four frontline quicks and skipper Ben Stokes. It would be one of the quickest bowling groups England have fielded in an Ashes Test away from home. Yet, despite the expected bounce and speed in the surface, England have also noted the dryness on the pitch, which could push Bashir into contention. The venue has historically rewarded spinners as well, with Nathan Lyon boasting 29 wickets in five Tests here. Bashir remains England’s leading spinner across formats for over a year. The 22-year-old became the youngest England bowler to reach 50 Test wickets in May, but a broken finger halted his momentum. He has not featured in competitive cricket since the Lord’s win against India in July and endured a difficult outing in the warm-up against England Lions, returning figures of 2 for 151 in 24 overs. Remarkably, he is also in line to play an Ashes Test despite being without a county contract following the end of his stint at Somerset. England’s pace options for the opener include Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Stokes and Carse, all capable of touching the 90mph mark. The 12-man squad for the Perth Test is: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, and Shoaib Bashir.
