Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he would “definitely” pick spinner Shoaib Bashir for the first Ashes Test in Perth if he were in England’s camp.
England have included Bashir, 22, in a 12-strong squad for the series opener with the final decision seemingly between the off-spinner and pacer Mark Wood.
The fast and bouncy nature of the Perth surface, plus Bashir’s limited cricket since breaking a finger in the summer, has led some to some suggest England should include Wood in an all-pace attack.
Ponting, though, pointed to the success of Australia spinner Nathan Lyon in Perth. Lyon averages 20.86 with the ball at Perth Stadium.
“If you think about the way [Bashir] bowls and releases the ball, it is not dissimilar to Nathan Lyon,” Ponting told Channel 7.
“He is taller and gets over-spin. What has Lyon been able to do in Perth and Brisbane? Lyon has a great record in those venues.
“If I am them I am definitely going in with the spinner.”
Ponting also suggested the injuries to Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins may mean Australia pick both of their all-rounders in Cameron Green and Beau Webster to shore up their bowling.
“If England target Nathan Lyon early in the game or target Scott Boland they might need someone else they can call on,” Ponting told SEN.
