Contenders' failures helped Marsh: Taylor

Shaun Marsh can credit his Test experience for his surprise Ashes berth, according to former Australia captain Mark Taylor, as other No.6 contenders failed to bang down the selection door.

The 34-year-old Marsh has earned his eighth Test recall during a career plagued by injuries and form troughs, and will face England in the series opener that starts in Brisbane on Thursday.

The left-hander was overlooked for the recent Test tour of Bangladesh, bouncing back to top the run-scoring in the domestic one-day competition and scoring 91 for Western Australia against an all-Test NSW attack during a recent Sheffield Shield game in Sydney.

But his selection has raised eyebrows given five players not in the Test team – Jake Weatherald, Callum Ferguson, Alex Doolan, Marcus Harris and Jake Lehmann – had scored more runs over the first three Shield games.

Taylor said Marsh had benefited from his familiarity with selectors.

“Glenn Maxwell made one hundred but hasn’t nailed the spot down. Other people they’ve tried – Mitchell Marsh, Hilton Cartwright haven’t made enough runs,” Taylor told AAP.

“So they wanted a guy at (No.) 6 who they know can make runs for them. That’s why they’ve gone back to Shaun Marsh.

“They’ve tried (Marcus) Stoinis in the one-dayers, Cartwright they’ve given a couple of Tests to and Mitchell Marsh in the past – these guys have all been tried there.

“Once again selectors are looking for them to do what Bancroft has done – belt the door down, demand selection. That hasn’t happened. That’s why they’ve gone with Shaun Marsh.”

Head selector Trevor Hohns backed Marsh, who has scored four Test tons and helped salvage a draw in Ranchi earlier this year, to deliver ahead of less-experienced contenders.

“The younger players we have chosen over the past 12 months or so, at this stage haven’t given us enough performance to be chosen in the initial squad for the Ashes,” Hohns said.

“The Ashes is very important, we don’t feel it’s the ideal venue to inject them again.”

Given his age, it’s likely this will be Marsh’s last chance at Test level, with retired Test skipper Michael Clarke confident he will repay selectors’ faith.

“The advantage of having someone like Shaun is he can bat anywhere in the order,” Clarke said.

“I’ve always rated him and it’s great he’s earned his position.”