More than a dozen Sheffield Shield players have chances of making Test debuts for Australia this summer, adding much-needed intrigue to the ailing State competition.
The selectors need to identify a number six batsman plus two or three quicks to aid veterans Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris over the five Ashes Tests.
Meanwhile, neither David Warner nor Brad Haddin have iron grips on their positions and spinner Nathan Lyon always appears just one bad Test from being hastily dumped again.
As a result, the following players will be well aware that dominant performances in the Shield could see them land Test debuts this summer: Alex Doolan, Nic Maddinson, George Bailey, Adam Voges, Jordan Silk, Aaron Finch, Chris Hartley, Chadd Sayers, Ben Cutting, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Hazlewood, Gurinder Sandhu and Fawad Ahmed.
All of that group, bar Hartley, have either represented Australia A or played in the ODI side this past year.
The selectors view the Australia A tours as a key proving ground for future Test players but have also shown they find credence in performances at ODI level.
Outside of those 13 potential debutants, another 14 players will be pushing for a recall to Test ranks: Usman Khawaja, Matthew Wade, Phil Hughes, Ed Cowan, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Andrew McDonald, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, John Hastings, Jackson Bird, Mitchell Johnson and Ashton Agar.
Any of those aforementioned 27 players could potentially feature in the Ashes if they light up the Shield. All of them are well and truly on the radar of the selectors.
This fierce competition for Test spots is a boon for the Shield which has suffered from an increasingly low profile and a lessening standard of cricket over the past decade.
Shield players should not need motivation above and beyond the opportunity to represent their State.
But the looming possibility of an Ashes berth may well see those listed players lift a cog, which in turn would improve the level of play across the entire competition.
In the opening round of the Shield starting on October 30, New South Wales battle Tasmania, Victoria face Western Australia, and South Australia face Queensland.
So at the SCG we will likely see Hazlewood and Sandhu charging in for NSW trying to dent the Test aspirations of Tasmanian top order batsmen Doolan, Silk and Cowan.
Not to mention Tasmanian quicks Bird and Hilfenhaus battling NSW stroke-makers Maddinson, Michael Clarke and Steve Smith.
Over the at MCG, Shaun Marsh will be trying to show the selectors he can dominate the spin of Ahmed and the seam of Hastings, while Agar will be hoping to remind them of his talent with the ball by skittling Matthew Wade and Test opener Chris Rogers.
At Adelaide Oval, South Australia swing merchant Sayers will be trying to confound Khawaja and Hartley with his late movement, while Cutting does his best to tear through SA’s batting line-up.
The second and third rounds of the Shield will be even spicier given the return of those international players taking part in the untimely limited overs tour of India.
Although it is doubtful that those fascinating player versus player battles mentioned above will draw many more fans through the gates, it can only be a good thing for Shield cricket.
Shield matches may well receive greater media coverage early in the summer considering the relevance of individual performances to Australia’s Ashes hopes.
The four-day competition has been marginalised by the encroachment of the Big Bash T20 league, which has been wildly successful in attracting crowds.
But hopefully the fight for Ashes spots will benefit the grand old competition and give it some momentum. It certainly needs all the help it can muster.
TonyM
Guest
I don't think that there will be that many changes to the Australian squad from the 5th Test in England .The side was Shane Watson Chris Rogers Michael Clarke (c) Steven Smith David Warner Brad Haddin James Faulkner Peter Siddle Ryan Harris Mitchell Starc Nathan Lyon They were performing well in that test and looked a reasonable chance of winning it.Even though they had lost the series,i think the selectors are looking for stability in having to make only changes if they have to.With Starc out with injury then they will need to find a replacement for him.,someone like Johnson.I think they will put him in just to see how he goes if he performs well then he will be a shoe in for the rest of the tour,if he doesn't then they will turf him and find someone else.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Sharp eye there Red Kev!
Felix
Guest
Spot on Ronan, and I think that highlights the importance of watching an innings, which presumably someone on the selection panel does, rather than looking at the figures. Case in point: D.Warner today, I'll never denounce his hitting display, that was supreme and clean, but his 197 at North Sydney Oval will forever be recorded over Jimmy Maher's 187 at the Gabba. It's like hitting a 6 on an under 12's ground versus the Adelaide Oval's long boundary! As for Bailey, coming in at 6 and nudging the ball around is exactly what this test side needs, and be damned if I can find a batsman better suited to doing that at the moment that he. Yes his first class record last year was worse than abominable, but perhaps he's seeing the rock okay at the moment and worth a chance? I'd pick him.
Rob Barrow
Guest
Praveen for me it would be Rogers, Warner, Watson, Clarke, Khawaj, smith for Brisbane, Clarke to move up
Rob Barrow
Guest
Agreed Ronan, UTK's ability to play pace and swing will hold him in strong favor with the selectors.
Rob Barrow
Guest
Tubby's biased commentating against Khawaja is not good, i am guessing its because he left the blues to come play for us here in Brisbane.
Rob Barrow
Guest
Agree Bear, saw Khawaja's innings after i shot off from work after lunch, he looked the goods and its great signs for him for the upcomign ashes, noticed the selectors(marsh and Inevarity) watching closely as well.
Rob Barrow
Guest
Bearfax i agree with your lineup, beWarner, Rogers, Watson, Khawaja, Clarke, Smith would be my preference to but it will come down to shield runs and i predicted a few weeks back that Warner and Khawaja would be the standout players domestically early on and its looking that way already in Ryobi, can't wait for the shield to start, so exciting to see how that turns out.
Rob Barrow
Guest
I also think the number 6 spot will be either Bailey, Khawaja or Hughes. Based on early domestic form on our ptiches i am tipping Khawaja as he has been the best batsman for top of the table bulls in Ryobi and i think he will take this into the shield games and ultimately selectors will pick on shield form not on form on dusty bowling graveyards in India.
Rob Barrow
Guest
Agreed red kev, Khawaja was treated badly but arthur is gone and now he will be picked on basis of runs and given a go that he desrves otherwise we won't build a quality batting lineup.
Rob Barrow
Guest
Khawaja is my pick as the best player in the early shield games, his ability to play pace on our pitches will be key.
Bearfax
Guest
Oh no. Christian just scored 117 and Quiney 89 in the Ryobi Cup semi. They'll have to come to the top of the list of aspirants for a test spot now, given they are two of the media's favourites
Aakash bhat
Guest
Davey scored 197
Ham Sandwich
Guest
Thank you Timmuh The guys is the previous Ashes squad have been TERRIBLE in India Give Bailey a test start Throw Hughes to the lions Thoughts?
Timmuh
Roar Guru
November 12. Nine days from the start of the Brisbane Test. The third round of Shield games,the second that players in India will be available for, is played November 13-16. As a result the guys in India will get just one first class game; either Shield or Australia A; before the squad is announced.
Ham Sandwich
Guest
When is the likely date for the Ashes squad going to be picked?? A few days before the first test or mid November? Thanks guys
Timmuh
Roar Guru
@expathack, other than the marketig opportunities from multiple launches there is only other reason I can think of to select a squad early. They may be to planning to pull the chosen quicks from the Shield and rest them - but it is not even back to back Tests, so is probably not necessary.
expathack
Guest
Yeah it's the second time he's bottled it in the 90s in the space of a week. Complete choker.
expathack
Guest
I still don't understand why they're going with picking the team ridiculously early. Again. Makes absolutely no sense to me. If it's to build hype early hype for series, can't see how it'd make a shred of difference. I'd even argue that the anticipation swirling around the team announcement would be much greater if they left until after the final Shield game before the Test.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
That is his biggest problem, only getting one game before the squad is picked. Of course they might pick an initial squad of 17 again, with the match squad picked a week later allowing for a second game. Coming off last season, he would need 250+ runs in that one game to redeem himself and come into contention. Its good marketing, three series launches - one the season launch, on the initial squad and one an actual squad. Cricket be damned, media coverage is more important. In some ways I want Bailey picked. He seems a good guy with a decent cricket brain. But in a more important way, I don;t want to see guys picked on form in a totally different game in totally different conditions when exposed form (albeit not as recent) in the more similar form of the game is so bad. He needs to redeem himself and show his FC form is around the same level as other contenders, then might he slot in nicely. Selectors do take note of form in other formats though so at this point I suspct he will be picked. I just think its a bad idea generally to do so. If he is picked, good luck to him, and I hope he smashes Bannerman's record on debut in a series defining knock.