Formidable Australia A squad named ahead of Test summer

I suspect Maddinson will drop to the middle order, much as he did this week for Victoria.

The point is that it's more about players the selectors want to have a look at or feel would benefit from playing that match. It's not always entirely the next players in. Certainly there are some spots up for grabs where a number of players in this team are among the main contenders for those spots, but that doesn't mean this team is all the next best eleven players. I don't for a moment believe that the selection of Abbott and Meredith shows that the selectors believe they have jumped ahead of the likes of Pattinson, Bird and Tremain in the pecking order. More a case of recent performances have put them on the selectors radar, and they feel it's time to get them a bit of exposure in the next step up. It's really only the fact that there are some definite selection holes to fill where the selectors clearly still aren't sure which way they want to go, that there are so many players pushing for immediate test selection in that side. Usually there would be at least a couple more young players who are just getting the selectors curious for the future, but clearly aren't ready yet (like Meredith and Abbott) in an A side selection.

Sort of complements the two-batsmen policy.

Disagree, this side is the next best eleven players in line for test selection, and would be our second eleven. All the batsmen are vying for the probable 2 spaces available, ditto with the bowlers if Cummins and Hazelwood get injured. The test players not playing are certainties for selection, and any others are way down the pecking order except maybe Bird. Just noticed Meredith has got rid of Pucovski and Hanscombe for 3 and 11 in the shield game, so his selection in Aus A is merited.

The Selection of Carey to Captain is I believe significant. I think he's a better Wicketkeeper Batsman than Paine - and what's more important - I think the Selectors are coming round to that opinion as well. So - with that thought in mind - the Selectors just have to give Carey an opportunity at Test level this Summer. And then we may end up with a spectacle that's surely never been seen before in Test Cricket - ie. 3 Wicket Keeper/ Batsman in the one side.

Renshaw was in the squad for 1st test. Langer said at the time the free opening spot to replace Finch after the India series was cane down to how him and Burns did in that particular tour match.

That was a bit out of the ordinary too as that was a test series starting in late January. So the BBL was happening rather than shield cricket. The likes of Pattinson and Labushagne were in the frame for test selection and wouldn’t have played any first class cricket for ages. But Renshaw, Sangha, Doran and others were nowhere near test selection and still in that team. In a lot of ways that was also a team made up by avoiding many players who were central to any BBL teams too. In seasons past when selecting teams to play warm up matches against tourists that coincided with Shield games at the start of the season, they’ve more often than not left most of the test hopefuls to play Shield and selectee mostly youngsters on the fringe of Shield selection for these games.

That's a reasonable point, but what's the point of including players to play against a touring international side if you have no intention of letting them go further into their own setup? Makes no sense to me. The past 12 months they've picked players solely there to be a proper 2nd side, no reason why that shouldn't continue

But that comment applies whether or not the next in line plays this game. I don't know if this was said out loud, but better for the spin bolwing contenders to play a Shield game.

And in fact, I was surprised Tremain wasn’t picked as one of the four quicks…well done to Abbott, with form behind him, but this is someone who has dominated Shield cricket for 3 or so seasons, with half his bowling on a lifeless – at times – MCG Similar for Bird; although I can understand the leaning toward younger options with likely more upside as test cricketers long term. There is probably a nice excitement to in largely unknown bowlers as opposed to those selectors have seen plenty of.

Agar is injured. Out of the WA Marsh Cup side.

Hazlewood and Richardson are "slower" pace bowlers? Both 140kph.

We have plenty of young spinners. Nair, Andrews, Pope... Zampa and Agar are hardly elderly. They already have the pressure on Lyon by being preferred in the 50 over game. Lyon, however, doesn't need pressure to perform consistently. He is consistent.

His keeping is outstanding.

They stopped doing that when Damien Martyn and Greg Blewett kept grinding down Warne and McGrath and sending them out of the park. I still remember Steve (Pssst, want a boiled lolly?) Randall firing Martyn LBW to a Warney around the wicket leggie. Oz A was caning the Oz side.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/18692/scorecard/1170105/cricket-australia-xi-vs-sri-lankans-tour-match-sl-in-aus-2018-19 Played a fair few test hopefuls against SL in a tour match at the start of the year.

Yeh, I think Maddinson is there more as a bit of a “good on you for the form, we are noticing it” from the selectors. I think it will take everyone to fail and him to ton up to leap frog anyone at this stage.

It'll be a "bat-off"to an extent, but only in conjunction with the last two Shield rounds (and the two that have already gone).

I agree Chris. More fool the Australian selectors if they have chosen the Aus A game as the final "look" at the most likely contenders after only two Shield rounds and with two still to go before the First Test; so no, I don't think that is the case at all.

Yep, Pattinson 12th man. First ? looking like Harris, Burns, Khawaja or Maddinson. Bancroft and Renshaw not picked. Second ? between Head and Pucovski, or possibly , Burns, Khawaja or Maddinson.