England will wait until the morning of the first Ashes Test before deciding whether to field a specialist spinner or unleash four quicks on what is forecast to be the liveliest surface of the series at Optus Stadium.
Ben Stokes has named a 12-man group that contains pace spearhead Mark Wood, now cleared after a tight hamstring, and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir. The final call – Bashir in, or an all-seam attack – rests on how the pitch appears after another hot, dry Perth day.
Wood passed a straightforward fitness test during the two main practice sessions, sending down 40 minutes’ worth of spells on Tuesday and a couple of short, brisk overs on Wednesday. He then spent time with stadium curator Isaac McDonald, eyes trained on the length of grass and any hint of cracks. At 35, Wood remains England’s quickest bowler and, on the previous tour in 2021-22, claimed 17 wickets at 26.64 – including a career-best 6 for 37 in Hobart when England famously dispensed with a frontline spinner.
Stokes, speaking earlier in the week, offered only a gentle hint. “We’ll pick the attack we believe can take 20 wickets,” was his clipped verdict, reflecting a desire to stay flexible rather than reveal strategic detail.
That flexibility explains Bashir’s presence. The 22-year-old’s steep bounce and overspin – two traits repeatedly highlighted by Stokes and head-coach Brendon McCullum since the start of 2024 – are thought to translate well to Australian surfaces. The figures, admittedly, are raw: 68 wickets at 39.00 from 19 Tests and a chastening warm-up outing against the Lions that cost 151 runs for two scalps. Yet management feel the method is sound; they also know that Perth has offered Nathan Lyon 29 wickets at an average barely above 20.
History offers mixed guidance. England last turned up in Australia for a red-ball match without a specialist spinner on Boxing Day 1998. More recently, the no-spinner experiment in Adelaide three winters ago back-fired when a fading Ollie Robinson turned his arm over for a few overs of gentle off-breaks. That memory lingers, even if the Perth strip is typically quicker and bouncier than Adelaide’s twilight deck.
The remainder of the squad more or less selects itself. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett are set to open, Joe Root and Ollie Pope slot in at three and four, with Harry Brook rounding out the top five. Jamie Smith retains the gloves after his lively start to Test cricket, while Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse jostle for the remaining seam spots alongside Wood. Stokes, of course, balances the side.
Former England quick Steve Harmison believes the temptation to go without a spinner is real but risky. “If the surface flattens out on days three and four you need someone who turns it. Fast bowlers don’t want to be flogged under an Australian sun for 30 overs a day,” he said on BBC Radio.
Australian observers are watching with curiosity. Former opener Chris Rogers noted, “Optus can be rapid, but it also takes spin if there’s foot-marks. Lyon loves bowling here.”
For England, it boils down to trust: trust in Wood’s body to withstand a possible 25 overs of thunderbolts, and trust in Bashir’s skills should he be summoned. Either way, Stokes insists the side will back its choice. “Whoever takes the field,” he said, “knows their job – and knows we back them to do it.”
England’s 12 for the first Test
Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Mark Wood
