England keep options open as Bashir, five pacers named for Ashes opener in Perth

Perth, 20 November 2025:

England have kept their options open for Friday’s Ashes opener in Perth, naming off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a 12-man squad that also includes five fast bowlers.

Mark Wood has been declared fit and is expected to lead the attack, leaving the final selection likely to hinge on a choice between Bashir and seamer Brydon Carse. Should England go with an all-pace attack — four specialist quicks plus all-rounder Ben Stokes, it would rank among the fastest groups they have fielded in a home Ashes Test.

Perth Stadium curator Isaac McDonald said Wednesday that the pitch should offer “pace and bounce,” reinforcing England’s long-held plan to rely exclusively on fast bowling. Still, the tourists have noted patches of dryness on the surface, keeping Bashir in consideration.

Despite the venue’s short Test history — only five matches have been staged there — Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the ground’s leading wicket-taker with 29, a statistic that underlines the value of spin if conditions allow.

England have backed Bashir, 22, as their first-choice spinner for more than a year. He became the youngest England bowler to reach 50 Test wickets in May, but has not played competitively since taking the final wicket of the dramatic third-Test win over India at Lord’s in July. He missed the end of the summer with a broken finger and struggled in the recent warm-up against England Lions, finishing with combined figures of 2 for 151 from 24 overs.

Bashir is also currently unattached at county level after his Somerset contract expired at season’s end.

Even so, England’s most probable attack features Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Stokes and Carse – all capable of touching 90mph.

England squad: 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.