England have named Mark Wood in their 12-man squad for the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth, with the fast bowler set to spearhead a five-man pace attack. Wood has been racing against time to prove his fitness after undergoing surgery earlier this year, and a recent hamstring scare during a warm-up match against England Lions raised further doubts. However, a scan came back clear, and he is now expected to feature alongside Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, and Ben Stokes in what would be England's fastest bowling attack in recent memory.
The seam-friendly nature of the Optus Stadium pitch has made an all-seam attack viable, particularly with key Australian bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the first Test. England see this as an opportunity to be aggressive and push for a win, something they have not achieved in an Ashes opener in Australia for nearly 40 years. Spinner Shoaib Bashir is also in the squad but is likely to be the 12th man, given the pitch conditions and his recent form.
In the batting line-up, Ollie Pope has secured the number three spot ahead of Jacob Bethell, joining openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. Will Jacks misses out on the 12-man squad, ending speculation that he might be selected to extend the batting order and provide a part-time spin option. England have not won a Test in Perth since 1978 and last won an Ashes series in Australia in 2010-11, but hopes are high that this could be the tour to end the drought.
