Mark Wood has been passed fit and seems set to play against Australia in Perth on Friday, with the final decision probably between off-spinner Bashir and seamer Brydon Carse.
If England opt for an all-pace attack – four specialists plus all-rounder Ben Stokes – it would arguably be the fastest group of bowlers they have fielded in an Ashes Test in this country.
On Wednesday Western Australia pitch curator Isaac McDonald said to expect “pace and bounce” from the surface at Perth Stadium, and it seems likely England will stick to a long-standing plan of an exclusively pace attack.
But the tourists have also noted a dryness to the pitch, bringing Bashir into contention.
In the short history of this venue – five previous Tests have been staged here – Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the leading wicket-taker with 29.
England have backed Bashir, 22, as their first-choice spinner for more than a year and in May he became the youngest England bowler to reach 50 wickets in Tests.
But he has not played a competitive game since taking the final wicket in a dramatic victory over India in the third Test at Lord’s in July.
Bashir has been out with a broken finger and struggled in England’s only warm-up match against England Lions, returning combined figures of 2-151 from 24 overs.
It also raises the prospect of Bashir playing in an Ashes Test without being attached to a county. His contract at Somerset expired at the end of the home summer.
However, an England team containing Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, captain Stokes and Carse – all of whom are capable of reaching 90mph – remains the most likely outcome.
The first Test starts at 02:20 GMT on Friday, with live text coverage, Test Match Special commentary and in-play highlights on the BBC Sport website.
England squad for first Ashes Test: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir.
By James Kisoo
