Shoaib Bashir Earns Surprise Selection in English Ashes Squad
England have opted for a 12-man squad just two days before the opening Test match, with Shoaib Bashir securing a unexpected spot.
Bashir's selection indicates that the tourists will wait until the day of the initial match to decide whether the venue conditions suit a pace-heavy attack or the addition of a spin bowler.
Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are included in the selected group, indicating there are no concerns about either pace bowler’s fitness.
Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse round out the attack, with the latter most likely to be omitted if the spinner makes the final team.
Ground Conditions Lean Toward Seamers
The England coach had been anticipated to opt for an pace-only lineup on a ground that has hosted several previous Tests.
In those games, the majority of dismissals have fallen to seamers, with only a small number to spin.
Of those 40 wickets, Australia’s Nathan Lyon has claimed the bulk, while all visiting spinners together have only eight.
At a venue known for its pace and bounce, and whose groundsman, the pitch preparer, pledged that these characteristics are “permanent and not going to change,” a side relying on fast bowlers remains the more likely decision.
Alternative Choices Weighed
Previously there was speculation that Will Jacks could be parachuted into the side to offer some slow bowling while additionally bolstering the lower order.
But the coach has chosen to stick with Bashir, having said earlier this year that he would be his first-choice slow bowler for the series.
Earlier, Lyon described Bashir as “decent,” saying that “from my perspective, Jack Leach is still England’s best spinner.”
“It is a huge responsibility, and it can be a massive challenge for bowlers who haven’t done it in the previous in these conditions,” Lyon remarked of slow bowling in matches Down Under.
“I’m not going to reveal my strategies so opponents come out and excel out here.”
English 12-man Squad for First Ashes Test
- The Captain
- Jofra Archer
- Gus Atkinson
- The Spinner
- Harry Brook
- Brydon Carse
- The Opener
- The Batsman
- The Middle-Order
- The Veteran
- The Wicketkeeper
- The Speedster
