Shoaib Bashir Earns Surprise Selection in English Test Series Team
England have chosen a 12-man squad just 48 hours before the opening Test match, with Shoaib Bashir earning a unexpected place.
Bashir's selection suggests that the visiting team will wait until the day of the first Test to decide whether the venue conditions favor a pace-heavy attack or the inclusion of a spin bowler.
Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are part of the selected group, showing there are no concerns about their fast bowler's fitness.
Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse round out the attack, with Carse most likely to miss out if the spinner enters the starting XI.
Pitch Factors Lean Toward Seamers
The England coach had been anticipated to opt for an all-seam attack on a venue that has staged five past matches.
In those games, 134 wickets have fallen to pace bowling, with only 40 to spin bowling.
Among these 40 wickets, the veteran spinner has claimed 29, while overseas slow bowlers together have just a handful.
At a venue known for its pace and bounce, and whose groundsman, the pitch preparer, pledged that these characteristics are “a mainstay and not going to change,” a side loaded with seamers remains the more likely choice.
Spin Options Considered
Previously there was speculation that the all-rounder could be parachuted into the team to provide some spin while additionally bolstering the batting lineup.
However McCullum has chosen to keep faith with Bashir, having said previously that he would be his first-choice spinner for the series.
Earlier, Nathan Lyon described the English spinner as “OK,” adding that “from my perspective, Jack Leach is still England’s top slow bowler.”
“This is a huge responsibility, and it can be a significant test for bowlers who haven’t done it in the past in these conditions,” Lyon said of spin bowling in Australian Tests.
“I won't reveal my strategies so opponents perform and perform well out here.”
English Selected Team for First Ashes Test
- Ben Stokes (c)
- The Pace Bowler
- Gus Atkinson
- The Spinner
- The Batsman
- The Fast Bowler
- The Opener
- Ben Duckett
- The Middle-Order
- Joe Root
- The Wicketkeeper
- Mark Wood