The Young Spinner Earns Surprise Selection in English Test Series Squad
The English team has chosen a twelve-player squad just 48 hours before the opening Test match, with Shoaib Bashir securing a unexpected place.
Bashir's inclusion suggests that the tourists will delay until the morning of the first Test to determine whether Perth Stadium conditions suit four seamers or the inclusion of a spin bowler.
Both pace bowlers are included in the 12-man group, showing there are no doubts about their pace bowler’s fitness.
Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse round out the attack, with the latter most likely to be omitted if Bashir enters the starting XI.
Ground Conditions Lean Toward Pace Bowlers
Brendon McCullum had been expected to opt for an all-seam attack on a venue that has hosted five past matches.
In those matches, the majority of dismissals have fallen to pace bowling, with only 40 to spin.
Among these spin dismissals, the veteran spinner has taken 29, while all visiting spinners combined have only eight.
On a ground known for its pace and bounce, and whose groundsman, the pitch preparer, pledged that these traits are “a mainstay and not going to change,” a team loaded with fast bowlers remains the more likely decision.
Spin Options Weighed
There had been speculation that the all-rounder could be parachuted into the side to provide some spin while additionally bolstering the lower order.
However McCullum has chosen to stick with Bashir, having said previously that he would be his preferred spinner for the Ashes.
In July, Lyon commented on Bashir as “OK,” saying that “from my perspective, Jack Leach is still the English top slow bowler.”
“It is a massive role, and it can be a significant test for people who lack experience in the previous in Australian pitches,” Lyon remarked of spin bowling in Australian Tests.
“I’m not going to let my secrets out so they come out and excel out here.”
English 12-man Squad for First Ashes Test
- The Captain
- The Pace Bowler
- The Seamer
- Shoaib Bashir
- Harry Brook
- The Fast Bowler
- The Opener
- The Batsman
- The Middle-Order
- Joe Root
- The Wicketkeeper
- The Speedster
