Cricket Australia have unveiled two strong Australia A squads to tour England in the lead-up to the Ashes later in the year, headlined by Test hopefuls James Pattinson and Matthew Wade.
The tour comprises five one-day matches and three four-day matches, which includes a final match against the Australian team.
The match against Australia is set to be used as a final hit out for every Ashes candidate, before the squad for that series against England is announced.
Test captain Tim Paine has been included in the A squad as skipper, while Josh Hazlewood will play in both the one day and four-day series affter being overlooked for the World Cup squad.
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Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who many thought should have made a return to the Australian squad over the summer, has been included in both squads, although will likely play as a specialist batsman with Paine taking the gloves in the four-dayers. Former Test vice-captain Mitchell Marsh is also in both squads.
Potential Ashes candidates Chris Tremain and James Pattinson have also been included to play in matches against Sussex, the England Lions and Australia, while Jackson Bird could also push his claims after a strong Sheffield Shield season.
Michael Neser and Jon Holland round out the attack, with Holland replacing Agar between series.
Many of Australia’s batsmen who aren’t guaranteed of spots in Australia’s best XI when the World Cup rolls around have also been included, with Marcus Harris, Kurtis Patterson, Will Pucovski and Peter Handscomb all in the touring party.
The quartet were all either in Australian squads or XIs over the summer, and will push for selection in the Ashes squad, although the task has become tougher with David Warner and Steve Smith’s return to the national set-up.
Some other players in line for an Ashes berth – most notably Joe Burns, who scored a century in Australia’s last Test – have missed selection, however, selector Trevor Hohns said they are being monitored by the selectors in county cricket.
“We have Joe Burns, Cameron Bancroft, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle and Daniel Worrall in our sights,” Hohns said.
“They have not been included in the squad and will continue to play through this period with their County teams.
“However, we have made it clear that strong form with their County teams will be taken into account for selection in the Ashes squad or the Australia v Australia A tour match.”
Paine’s Test deputy, Travis Head, will also feature in both squads, captaining the one-day outfit, while Peter Handscomb – a surprise omission from the World Cup squad – has been included.
Should Alex Carey be hit by injury at the World Cup, one of Wade or Handscomb will be required to join Australia’s squad in the tournament.
Kane Richardson, Sean Abbott and Ashton Agar round out the one-day bowling attack, while explosive opener D’Arcy Short, Ashton Turner and young gun Will Pucovski are also in the side.
Australia A four-day squad
Tim Paine (c) (Tasmania)
Marcus Harris (Victoria)
Kurtis Patterson (New South Wales)
Will Pucovski (Victoria)
Travis Head (vc) (South Australia)
Peter Handscomb (Victoria)
Matthew Wade (Tasmania)
Mitch Marsh (Western Australia)
Michael Neser (Queensland)
Jon Holland (Victoria)
James Pattinson (Victoria)
Jackson Bird (Tasmania)
Josh Hazlewood (vc) (New South Wales)
Chris Tremain (Victoria)
Australia A limited-overs squad
Travis Head (c) (South Australia)
Matthew Wade (Tasmania)
Will Pucovski (Victoria)
Peter Handscomb (Victoria)
Ashton Turner (Western Australia)
Mitch Marsh (vc) (Western Australia)
D’Arcy Short (Western Australia)
Kurtis Patterson (New South Wales)
Ashton Agar (Western Australia)
Michael Neser (Queensland)
James Pattinson (Victoria)
Josh Hazlewood (vc) (New South Wales)
Kane Richardson (South Australia)
Sean Abbott (New South Wales)
Full tour fixtures
One-day matches
Thursday, June 20: Australia A vs Northamptonshire at The County Ground, Northamptonshire
Sunday, June 23: Australia A vs Derbyshire at The County Ground, Derby
Tuesday, June 25: Australia A vs Worcestershire at New Road, Worcester
Sunday, June 30: Australia A vs Gloucestershire at Bristol County Ground, Bristol
Tuesday, July 2: Australia A vs Gloucestershire at Bristol County Ground, Bristol
Four-day matches
Sunday, July 7 – Wednesday, July 10: Australia A v Sussex at Arundel Castle Cricket Ground, Arundel
Saturday, July 13 – Tuesday, July 16: Australia vs England Lions at The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury
Tuesday, July 23 – Friday, July 27: Australia A vs Australia at Ageas Bowl, Hampshire
Peter Warrington
Guest
guaranteed and likely to be one of many, many factors that led to his selection over Hando (even if only subliminally so).
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
I can't see the logic in the L/O games either. It will be too late to change the WC squad barring injury and surely they already have a good idea of who they'll call in a case of injury to any given player. I'd like to think there is a method to the madness but it totally eludes me.
Vicboy
Roar Rookie
Burns is the new Maxwell - terrible treatment. How does Burns missing a contract affect Qld cricket? I can't see any positive of a test century being treated like this?
Craig
Guest
Serious question. Shaun Marsh gets best player of the World Cup. Does that get him picked for the ashes?
AREH
Roar Guru
Oh and the OTHER thing I cannot get past, - as much as Abbott had a terrific season - is how unlucky any of Copeland, Boland and Bird must feel.
Phillip
Roar Rookie
Some will say the one dayers will be pointless but you also must recall Patterson got selected for 2 Test matches because he treated a Tour game like a 50 over match, flogging the ball around like he was setting up a 300+ total for a one dayer. As for Burns I'm the type who doesn't get a hardon by the mear sound of his name, just frankly couldn't care less about him in fact I find him pretty forgetable.
MarkD
Guest
Surely you jest? Could Hohns ,Langer and Chappell be so heartless ? Can just see the line peddled out by one of the above ' we have decided to go with youth so Bancroft and Renshaw will open for Australia A '.
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
Why M.Marsh? Potential or form?
Rellum
Roar Guru
Burns might not even make the A side.
MarkD
Guest
With Burns not getting a contract and not picked in the AustA squad, the cynic in me thinks that it doesn't matter how well burns bats for his county side. Come the Australia A v Australia match we will see warner and harris open for Australia with Burns relegated to open for Australia A .
badmanners
Roar Rookie
Maybe worried he'd make our batsmen look ordinary? :-)
Paul
Roar Guru
I'm obviously guessing about Pattinson, but if I was Langer and co, I'm only going to pick this guy if I'm sure he's going to last the distance, is capable of bowling 20 plus overs in a day if need be and bowling under adverse conditions if required, eg into the wind, up the slope at Lords, etc. This sort of thing is way more manageable if he's with the Australian party in July.
Josh H
Roar Rookie
The 2nd opening spot is an interesting conundrum. If you want to take a traditional view, you open with the batsman with the strongest technique, which (for me) is Tim Paine. But he's the keeper, so that's out of the question. Patterson and Pucovski both bat at 3, so you could argue that's "close enough" to opening, but they're both exceptionally early in their international careers so it'd be unfair to trial them for the Test squad in an unnatural position. What I think the selectors will do is bat Travis Head there. He's opened for the one-day team in the past and holds a leadership position as vice-captain. If you ask me, I think that reasoning's a bit daft, but stranger things have happened, I suppose.
Paul
Roar Guru
TBH, I've seen Pucovski bat in a few positions for Victoria, which is why I was suggesting he could bat three, if that's where he'd be chosen for the Test team. Wade's inclusion in the A squad is an acknowledgement of his batting this season just finished but I don't think the selectors genuinely see him in their Ashes plans, so he could bat where ever. The rest should bat in their Test positions if they can, to simulate what they might expect once they get into a Test in England. Ditto with the bowling. I want to see Pattinson bowl a few spells totaling 20 plus overs in a day, to prove he's a genuine contender for the Ashes squad.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Will the full Aussie line up be available for the Australia A stuff? The World Cup will have finished. So does that mean the line up can include Smith, Warner and Khawaja?
The Bush
Roar Guru
Paul, There's logic in what you say, but then there's the difficulty in actually applying it. You'd hate to see Pucovski batting out of position, but has Wade ever opened a cricket game with a bat in hand? He's been at 5 recently and I can't ever recall him batting above 4. Yet Pucovski's usual position is at first drop right? If that's the case then he's certainly more naturally inclined to know how to open. Head has opened in ODI cricket, but I've never seen him bat above 4 in FC cricket, though I don't follow SA at all, so maybe he has. Patterson might be batting six for Australia, but he's got experience at first drop for NSW (is this his preferred position?) - perhaps he'll open.
The Bush
Roar Guru
That still doesn't explain why they've selected a squad with only one opener in it.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Yeah Paul - I'd assume there will be a rejig of the teams. Not sure at the moment. At the very least, you'd think CA will cover Australia vs Australia A.
Gee
Roar Rookie
Waste of time playing those 50 overs matches and a waste of money having a specific squad for them. Even one of those half and half practice four day games would be better. Burns, Patterson and co facing Siddle, Pattinson etc seems a bit better than watching Darcy Short whack a meaningless LA ton against a depleted county team.
Paul
Roar Guru
How does the Australia A v Australia game work, with half the Test side in the A side? I assume the selectors will rework the two teams? Also wondering if there will be any coverage of these lead up games?