- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Australia’s Test team looks set to be packed with rookies against Bangladesh in October following skipper Michael Clarke’s decision to retire at the end of this Ashes series.
Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges may also be finished as Test cricketers if reports are correct, opening up three spots in Australia’s middle order.
In the same article in which he broke the story of Clarke’s retirement, News Ltd journalist Ben Horne also suggested the Test careers of Marsh and Voges were over.
“Selectors are left with the stark reality that of the Ashes squad they selected, Clarke, Fawad Ahmed, Brad Haddin, Shaun Marsh, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Shane Watson and the already retired Ryan Harris are all finished as Test cricketers,” Horne wrote.
Former captain Ricky Ponting has also stated that eight members of Australia’s Ashes squad may never play again, although he refused to name each one.
It would come as no surprise were the selectors to officially move on from the likes of Voges, Marsh and Siddle.
Since his ton on Test debut, Voges has floundered and at 35 years old was never going to get much grace from the selectors.
Marsh, meanwhile, has only had one Test in this Ashes but during it his propensity for low scores was again highlighted.
Quite incredibly, of his past 23 Test innings, 11 of them have seen him score between 0 and 3.
At 32 years old he seems unlikely to suddenly locate the consistency which has been absent throughout his cricketing career.
The hint that Siddle may also be done as a Test cricketer makes sense. Since losing the best part of 10kmh of pace about two years ago his penetration has waned markedly. Meanwhile, Australia keeps producing impressive young quicks.
All this means that Australia’s side will be nigh on unrecognisable when it trots onto the field in Bangladesh.
Almost two-thirds of the side which thrashed England 5-0 and then upset the Proteas in South Africa look set to be absent.
The only certainties, barring injury, are David Warner, skipper-to-be Steve Smith, new keeper Peter Nevill, tweaker Nathan Lyon and pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, and maybe veteran quick Mitchell Johnson.
A new opener will be partnering David Warner, while Australia could also have three fresh faces in the order from four to six.
Australia A captain Usman Khawaja, South Australia strokemaker Callum Ferguson, and Queensland young guns Chris Lynn and Joe Burns probably are the frontrunners among that group.
If the selectors decide to play without an all-rounder in Bangladesh, like they did in this fourth Test, as many as four of that seven could find themselves in the Test team in just two months’ time, with Burns a big chance to take Rogers’ spot.
It is entirely possible that for the first Test against Bangladesh, Australia’s top seven could look like this:
1. David Warner
2. Joe Burns
3. Steve Smith
4. Usman Khawaja
5. Callum Ferguson
6. Chris Lynn
7. Peter Nevill
After an era which has been dominated by experienced players and familiar faces, that would be a truly strange line-up.
Stirred by Hurricane Broad, the winds of change are blasting through Australian cricket.