The Young Spinner Makes Surprise Selection in English Ashes Squad
The English team has chosen a 12-man selection just two days before the first Ashes Test, with Shoaib Bashir earning a surprise place.
The 22-year-old’s inclusion indicates that the visiting team will delay until the morning of the first Test to decide whether Perth Stadium pitch favor a pace-heavy attack or the inclusion of a spin bowler.
Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are part of the selected group, indicating there are no doubts about either pace bowler’s condition.
The other seamers round out the attack, with the latter expected to miss out if Bashir enters the final team.
Pitch Factors Favor Pace Bowlers
The England coach had been expected to choose an all-seam attack on a venue that has staged five past matches.
In those matches, 134 wickets have been taken by pace bowling, with only 40 to spin bowling.
Of those spin dismissals, Australia’s Nathan Lyon has taken 29, while all visiting spinners combined have only eight.
On a ground renowned for its speed and carry, and whose curator, Isaac McDonald, pledged that these traits are “permanent and not going to change,” a side relying on seamers remains the more likely decision.
Spin Options Considered
Previously there was rumors that Will Jacks could be parachuted into the side to provide some spin while additionally bolstering the batting lineup.
However McCullum has chosen to stick with Bashir, having stated earlier this year that he would be his preferred spinner for the series.
In July, Lyon commented on the English spinner as “decent,” saying that “from my perspective, Jack Leach is still the English top slow bowler.”
“It is a massive role, and it can be a massive challenge for bowlers who lack experience in the past in these conditions,” he said of slow bowling in matches Down Under.
“I’m not going to reveal my strategies so they perform and excel out here.”
English Selected Team for Opening Match
- Ben Stokes (c)
- The Pace Bowler
- Gus Atkinson
- The Spinner
- The Batsman
- Brydon Carse
- The Opener
- Ben Duckett
- The Middle-Order
- Joe Root
- Jamie Smith (wk)
- Mark Wood
