England names firebrand quicks for first Ashes Test – abc.net.au

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Sport
Topic:Ashes
Jofra Archer (left) and Mark Wood may team up for the first Test against Australia. (Getty Images)
Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have been named in England's 12-player squad for the first Test against Australia.
Wood was under an injury cloud earlier this week.
The first Ashes Test between Australia and England will begin in Perth on Friday, with ABC Sport providing a live blog, as well as a live call of every ball in the series. 
England has named fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood in its 12-player squad for the first men's Ashes Test in Perth.
The firebrand quicks are a chance to be unleashed together against Australia for the first time at Test level.
England will wait to confirm its final XI, having also picked young spinner Shoaib Bashir in its squad.
Wood, the only member of the bowlers in England's squad to have played a Test in Australia, has overcome the hamstring tightness he sustained in the warm-up match at Lilac Hill last weekend.
Returning to bowl in the nets on Tuesday, Wood's ability to regularly clock speeds of more than 150 kilometres per hour would come in handy on the fast and bouncy Perth pitch.
"Jofra and Woody are amazing bowlers and they'll be huge for us this series," fellow England fast bowler Gus Atkinson said.
ABC Sport and Australian cricketing legend Glenn McGrath part ways due to the former fast bowler's relationship with a betting company.
"You hear about it in the past and it's all, 'Pace, pace, pace [in Australia]', but we're hearing lately a bit more seam movement.
"For me personally, it's nice to hear that."
While the make-up of its bowling attack remains undecided, England's batting line-up has taken shape.
Aggressive pair Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley will continue opening together.
Ollie Pope has been given another chance at number three, despite averaging just 35.36 from his 61 Tests.
Joe Root will look to break his infamous century drought in Australia, with Harry Brook and captain Ben Stokes to follow to round out England's top six.
England's past three tours to Australia have been monumental failures, going down 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0.
The tourists have not won a Test match in the country since triumphing 3-1 in the 2010/11 series.
Only Stokes, Root, Wood, Crawley and Pope have previously played a Test in Australia.
England squad: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse
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