Australia's Test team casualty ward

If you had told me how this Ashes series would have transpired before the first morning of the Cardiff Test I, like most logical people, would have brushed you off very quickly.

Yet here we are a month and a half later and one of the most bizarrely lopsided series has taken place.

Players were thrown in and out of the team in what seemed like a ‘picking names out of the hat’ style selection policy, and ultimately the future of Australian cricket has changed drastically.

The first Test against Bangladesh begins in a touch over six weeks. That gives doesn’t give Cricket Australia, namely Rod Marsh and his selection panel, a lot of time to sort out the dead trail of players left behind in England.

If chairman of selectors Marsh still holds his job by then, he’ll have to put together a brand new team for incumbent skipper Steve Smith to showcase for his first proper trial as captain.

Here are the casualties Smith and coach Darren Lehman may be dealing with:

Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers
Both men have hung up the baggy green, Clarke from all form of cricket, and Rogers I feel has gone too early.

Shane Watson
I just can’t see Watson finding his way back into the Test team after the selectors pushed younger all-round option Mitch Marsh throughout the series. Although his loss will deny the internet community years’ worth of memes he has been given chance after chance to find form.

His slow prodding 30s have to be made way for a more consistent batsmen. His partnership-breaking ability and awesomely economic bowling will be missed though.

Peter Siddle
Siddle had a strong showing in the final Test, however he was only brought in last minute instead of the more viable future option of Pat Cummins, who I think will slide into that spot in Bangladesh.

Once an Aussie spearhead, Siddle has slipped behind the young aggression of the next generation Australian pace attack in recent years. I just can’t see him getting over a hungry Mitchell Starc, Cummins and Josh Hazlewood combo.

Brad Haddin
Like Watson, Haddin will be hard pressed getting his spot back from Peter Nevill who handled the gloves well across the four Tests he played. After a typical gritty Haddin showing in the first Test he relieved himself for personal reasons for the second, but when made available again was shunted in favour of Neville. I’m not entirely sure why he wasn’t allowed to slot back in but I think the selectors have certainly made their plans clear for the future.

Adam Voges
He had a very quiet series scoring a pair of fifties throughout the series but with not much else to speak of he managed to maintain his spot in the team. Voges was a big part of Australia’s middle order woes that dished out multiple collapses under the thumbs of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson. Being the age he is and with so many promising young guns rising through the Australia A side at the moment I wouldn’t be surprised to see his omission from the side.

Shaun Marsh
This one’s a bit touch and go but what did it for me was his absence from the final Test. It was a dead rubber that could have given him a chance to get some runs, any runs, but he was pushed aside. I think that call was a harsh one but shows how little faith the selection panel have in him.

I know that list isn’t the end of the world but two thirds of a team that may never play again is a hefty dent in a usually solid Aussie cricket team institution.

It is a real changing in the guard with a new captain, an interesting choice of vice-captain and a new look Test side for the future.