🔗 Share this article The Young Spinner Makes Unexpected Inclusion in English Test Series Team England have chosen a 12-man squad just two days ahead of the opening Test match, with Shoaib Bashir securing a surprise spot. The 22-year-old’s selection indicates that the tourists will wait until the day of the initial match to decide whether the venue conditions favor four seamers or the addition of a spin bowler. Both pace bowlers are included in the 12-man group, indicating there are no doubts about either pace bowler’s condition. Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse complete the bowling group, with the latter most likely to miss out if the spinner enters the starting XI. Pitch Factors Favor Pace Bowlers Brendon McCullum had been expected to choose an all-seam attack on a venue that has hosted several previous Tests. During these games, the majority of dismissals have been taken by seamers, with only 40 to spin. Of those 40 wickets, the veteran spinner has taken 29, while all visiting spinners combined have just a handful. On a ground known for its pace and bounce, and whose groundsman, Isaac McDonald, pledged that these traits are “permanent and not going to change,” a side relying on seamers is still the probable choice. Alternative Choices Weighed Previously there was speculation that the all-rounder could be parachuted into the team to provide some spin while additionally bolstering the lower order. But McCullum has opted to keep faith with Bashir, having said earlier this year that he would be his preferred spinner for the Ashes. In July, Nathan Lyon described Bashir as “OK,” adding that “in my eyes, Jack Leach is still the English top slow bowler.” “This is a huge responsibility, and it can be a massive challenge for people who haven’t done it in the previous in Australian pitches,” Lyon remarked of slow bowling in Australian Tests. “I won't reveal my strategies so they come out and perform well out here.” English Selected Team for Opening Match The Captain The Pace Bowler Gus Atkinson Shoaib Bashir Harry Brook The Fast Bowler The Opener Ben Duckett Ollie Pope Joe Root Jamie Smith (wk) The Speedster