The Young Spinner Earns Unexpected Selection in England's Ashes Squad
The English team has chosen a 12-man squad just two days before the opening Test match, with Shoaib Bashir securing a surprise spot.
Bashir's inclusion suggests that the tourists will wait until the morning of the first Test to decide whether the venue pitch suit four seamers or the addition of a spinner.
Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are included in the 12-man squad, indicating there are no doubts about their pace bowler’s condition.
Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse round out the attack, with Carse expected to miss out if the spinner makes the starting XI.
Pitch Factors Lean Toward Pace Bowlers
The England coach had been expected to opt for an pace-only lineup on a venue that has staged five past matches.
In those games, the majority of dismissals have been taken by seamers, with only 40 to spin.
Of those spin dismissals, the veteran spinner has taken the bulk, while overseas slow bowlers combined have just a handful.
On a ground known for its pace and bounce, and whose groundsman, Isaac McDonald, stated that these traits are “a mainstay and not going to change,” a team relying on fast bowlers is still the more likely decision.
Alternative Choices Considered
There had been speculation that the all-rounder could be parachuted into the side to provide some slow bowling while also strengthening the lower order.
But McCullum has opted to keep faith with Bashir, having stated previously that he would be his first-choice slow bowler for the series.
In July, Nathan Lyon described Bashir as “decent,” saying that “from my perspective, Jack Leach is still the English top slow bowler.”
“This is a massive role, and it can be a massive challenge for bowlers who lack experience in the previous in these conditions,” Lyon said of slow bowling in Australian Tests.
“I’m not going to reveal my strategies so opponents perform and excel out here.”
England 12-man Squad for First Ashes Test
- Ben Stokes (c)
- The Pace Bowler
- The Seamer
- The Spinner
- The Batsman
- The Fast Bowler
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Ollie Pope
- Joe Root
- The Wicketkeeper
- Mark Wood
