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Bashir, Potts in England squad for final Ashes Test / Photo: © AFP
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Bashir, Potts in England squad for final Ashes Test
Seamer Matthew Potts and spinner Shoaib Bashir were included in a 12-man England squad Friday for the fifth Ashes Test against Australia as the tourists look to finish the series on a high.
Potts is the only unused fast bowler from their original 16-man squad and gets his chance after Gus Atkinson limped off with a hamstring issue at the previous Test in Melbourne, which England won inside two days.
Fellow quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have similarly succumbed to injury.
Wood (knee) only played the first Test in Perth while Archer was ruled out after the third Test in Adelaide with a side strain.
Australia have already won the series and retained the urn.
Potts is expected to add to his 10 caps in Sydney on Sunday, having last played a Test in December 2024, as a direct replacement for Atkinson.
Bashir and Will Jacks will vie for the final spot.
Bashir was considered England's top spinner when they arrived in Australia but has yet to play with all-rounder Jacks preferred.
Australia lead the five-Test series 3-1 but England gained confidence from their frantic, four-wicket Melbourne victory.
Opener Zak Crawley said it would be a "pretty good series" if they managed to end it 3-2 down.
"I think there's a big difference just internally in the group," he said when asked the difference between losing 4-1 or 3-2.
"It just shows a lot about our group and how united we are if we can get a win.
"It might not go our way, but if we can put up a good performance this week, that says a lot about the group."
The Sydney Cricket Ground's head curator Adam Lewis is under-pressure to produce a pitch that helps both bat and ball after the Melbourne wicket was heavily slanted in favour of the fast bowlers.
Batting on that track, which was labelled "unsatisfactory" by the International Cricket Council, was treacherous.
Lewis told reporters his ground staff were aiming for six millimetres of grass, compared to the 10 in Melbourne.
"The only thing we can't control is the weather," said Lewis, with rain showers expected on Sunday and Monday.
"We're just trying to prepare a pitch that's a great balance for bat and ball."
England squad: Ben Stokes (capt), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue
A. Madsen--BTZ
