England have deferred a final decision on their team for the first Ashes Test until Friday morning as they weigh up the merits of picking a spinner in Perth.

Ben Stokes has often named an XI two full days out from Tests since taking over as captain, but on this occasion England announced they had trimmed their 16-man squad down to 12 names on Wednesday. Stokes said before England's training session on Thursday afternoon that they would "probably" have a final team later in the day, but has instead opted for a final look at the pitch on the first morning.

England's biggest decision surrounds the possible inclusion of Shoaib Bashir on a pitch expected to offer pace and bounce for their fast bowlers. Australia's Nathan Lyon has a formidable record at Perth Stadium, with 29 wickets at 2

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