Australia’s World Cup winners aren’t the only ones nursing headaches, with selectors preparing to announce the Ashes squad on Tuesday.
As captain Michael Clarke and his teammates soaked up adulation following Sunday’s emphatic Cup final defeat of New Zealand, Rod Marsh and his colleagues were sifting through the contenders for the tours to the Caribbean and Englandd.
Australia’s two-Test series against the West Indies, a tune-up for their bid to win the Ashes in England for the first time since 2001, does not start until June 5.
However, Marsh and fellow selectors didn’t want to delay naming a squad given there is only the Indian Premier League to come before Australia’s Test assignments.
Cricket Australia will also reveal its new contract list on Tuesday, in addition to an Australia A squad for a winter series in India.
It’s expected the Windies-Ashes tours squad will feature approximately 16-17 players, with a back-up wicketkeeper and second spinner likely to be included.
NSW gloveman Peter Nevill and Victoria’s Matthew Wade are the leading contenders to be Brad Haddin’s understudy, while 2013 Ashes hero Ashton Agar and potential Test debutant Fawad Ahmed are locked in a battle to be Nathan Lyon’s spin sidekick.
Mitch Marsh has impressed in his four-Test career, however he faces stiff opposition from James Faulkner for an allrounder berth.
Veteran Adam Voges, having tallied 1358 runs to set a new Western Australian record in a stellar Sheffield Shield campaign, will vie with Queensland’s Joe Burns to be taken as the reserve batsman.
World Cup heroes Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood could also double as Australia’s Test attack in the West Indies.
Victorians James Pattinson and Peter Siddle will also come under consideration, however Ryan Harris will skip the Caribbean trip in an effort to make sure he is cherry ripe for the Ashes.
Voges and Ahmed starred in the recent Shield final, while the likes of Faulkner and Glenn Maxwell were denied a chance to press their red-ball claims due to the World Cup that started on February 14 and ran for six weeks.
Clarke used himself as a shining example of the fact form in any format counts.
“When I got picked for my first Test in India, that was on the back of a lot of one-day cricket because I wasn’t around to play Sheffield Shield,” the captain said.
“I don’t think it matters what format you’re playing, if you’re performing the selectors will be looking at you.
“There’s a number of players in this (World Cup) team that have done everything in their power to get selected.
“Now it’s up to the selectors to work out what they think the best squad is for West Indies.”
Clarke, who retired from ODI cricket after Sunday’s World Cup final to prolong his Test career, suggested he’d yet to start to think about the Ashes.
“We’ve got a lot of cricket before we play England,” he said.
“Hopefully the momentum that we can take from this can help us in the upcoming tours.
“England are always tough in their own backyard.”
Potential 17-man Ashes squad
Batsmen: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges
Allrounders: Shane Watson, Mitch Marsh
Wicketkeepers: Brad Haddin, Peter Nevill
Bowlers: Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon, Ashton Agar.
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