As the Australian selectors face the damning reality that Australia have lost their fifth Test series on home soil since 2010, the trio of Justin Langer, George Bailey and Trevor Hohns are designated with choosing a squad to face South Africa for two Tests.
Whether that happens on South African soil or in Perth due to the COVID situation is another question. Here’s my squad, which will have a few changes from the one that faced India.
Batsmen
David Warner
Let’s be honest here. Warner was rushed into playing the final two Tests rather than giving him time to be at least close to match fitness. The break will do him good and Warner’s record in South Africa average wise is 0.12 higher than his average in Australia (63.21).
Will Pucovski
He impressed on Test debut and a brilliant first-class record indicates he’s more than good enough to play Test cricket for a long time. Pucovski is heavily talented and will open alongside Warner in the Test series.
Bryce Street
53 (167), 0 (5), 115 (308), 6 (55), 3 (7), 30 (136), 7* (19), 58 (200), 9 (35), 46 (121), 9* (25), 5 (53), 31 (137), 115 (281), 2 (9), 54 (182), 22 (65), 9 (40), 38 (151), 22 (63).
These are Bryce Street’s scores so far in his first-class career. While he isn’t a prolific run-scorer, one thing he has done is blunt the new ball. In the 2019-20 Shield season, Street was Queensland’s second-highest run-scorer (489) while facing a staggering 1608 balls in 15 innings.
This season, Street has only amassed 146 runs at an average of 29.2, but he’s faced 501 balls, the most by a Queenslander.
Australia has been crying out for a Cheteshwar Pujara-type of player and Bryce Street can be that for Australia. While I’m not saying he should slot in the XI, he’s more than good enough to be in the Test squad and face a high-quality attack in the nets.
Marcus Harris
Just like many talented first-class players in Australian cricket, Harris is in a bracket of those who get starts but fail to capitalise into big scores. He will be the backup opener to Will Pucovski.
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith
Australia’s number three and four in the series. No questions about it.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Travis Head, Moises Henriques and Nic Maddinson
Wade’s time in Tests is up. Head will continue to score runs at Shield level but needs to step it up in Tests. Nic Maddinson has dominated Shield level for long enough to get the recall he deserves.
And as for Moises Henriques? Well it’d be incredibly harsh to drop him considering he didn’t even get a game. Ultimately, I believe it’s a three-man battle among this trio to take the number five spot against South Africa.
Cameron Green
No question on Green. He looked technically solid against India and deserves a long run in the side at 6.
Wicketkeepers
Tim Paine (captain) and Josh Inglis
Paine’s spot in the Australian side over one series loss shouldn’t come into question. He’s the right man to lead Australia in the series against South Africa. With no Wade in my squad, I’ve gone with Josh Inglis as Paine’s deputy. The best gloveman in Shield cricket and a handy lower-order batsman, I see no reason why any other keeper should travel to South Africa over Inglis.
Spinners
Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson
Lyon is almost undroppable in the Test team and Swepson’s Shield form speaks for itself.
Quicks
Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, James Pattinson, Michael Neser, Sean Abbott, Jhye Richardson and Jackson Bird
Although Australia are only playing two Tests, they’ll take extra quicks as net bowlers, thus my reasoning of including Jhye Richardson and Jackson Bird who have good first-class records. The bigger question is who will be the third pacer in Australia’s side for the series.
Will Mitch Starc keep his side despite his poor showings in Sydney and Brisbane? Will James Pattinson come in or will South African-born Neser make his long-awaited Test debut in his birth nation?
JamesH
Roar Guru
33 is an excellent average for an off spinner in Australia. Aren’t that many who have done better.
Ace
Roar Rookie
Your thoughts sit well with me but I'm more agreeable to the rider re Richardson and McDermott being there for experience and the future maybe more beneficial
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Graham. I don’t know, I don’t pretend to be as smart as the selectors plus the actual Amount they ‘watch’ the players, add even ‘talking’ to the players, lol. Starc does seem to be of fire then missing, four games in four/5 weeks with not games all year is tough. If is hard to foretell how a player will go.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Graham Re: Starc - he should have been rested after the 1st Test - dropped from the 12. He was poor the whole series and was one of the key reasons Australia failed to bowl out India in the last innings of 2 Tests.
Graham
Guest
I wonder if its a fatigue thing play him in game 1 2 and 4 but rest him one test a series
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Because he got picked for Australia after just six shield games filling in for injured Peter Anderson, Healy reckoned at any given time there could be as many as 13 keepers capable of playing for Australia.
Lawrence
Roar Rookie
An average of 33 doesnt
Graham
Guest
I think a pujara type player is a liability at home and an assett away. A draw is a good result away but a bad one at home. We should consider horses for courses
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
I think part of the strength Australia has had since forever is they have really done the captain chop and change like other countries.
Graham
Roar Rookie
Green should move to five and forget about his bowling for the time being. He seems a good batsman but looks a very ordinary bowler. Let him just concentrate on his batting for the time being. Pick an allrounder like Henriques or Neser at six. Leave Starc at home. He is out of form or playing injured, either way he would probably benefit from some time off. I would also find a spot for Swepson … and in the test team as well. I would hang onto Paine as captain for the moment but he is on notice.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hi Waxhead. I’m with you on all but the Starc one. I think he needs to be ‘managed’. He is hot and cold sort of, not day in day out. I don’t think he should be an automatic selection, I think no they should rest him from tests, more like a baseball teams style of things. Rotation.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Arnab Your's might be the best Test squad available but it's an ordinary one that will lose in SA imo. It's got holes everywhere imo. a) Aust cricket teams have been very poor tourists the past 10 years. b) Warner is only good in Aust. c) The no 5 spot options are all poor. d) M Starc is vastly over-rated. e) Street - I'm totally unconvinced by a slow average of 29 this summer. f) Overall, the Aust batting looks poor with far too many duds.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Pucovski Warner Labuschagne Smith (c) Maxwell Carey Green Cummins hazelwood neser Swepson. Squad: pattinson, Richardson, starc, lyon, mcdermott , inglis, marsh, madinson. 19 man squad. Don’t need anymore only three tests. Great blend of top shield , top internationals and experience and youth . If pushed for more ie 22 man squad then head, henriques and abbot seem like next three.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Really like that side . Maxwell need a chance with mcdermott and inglis in wings . Carey straight in . I’d have starc for swing or pink dn matches but less tests for sure . He was rotated in England too but they even got that wrong at times too . Playing him at scg with average of 38 was deftyfyingly stupid . Warner has two series left for me as he only goes well at stha frica and in Australia .
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Lyon really needs to come good . He was poor in uk ashes at times and once again has poor averages at scg and mcg . Still he goes so well at places like adelaide dn and with other bouncy pitches .
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Yes specifically The Wanderers and Centurion Park which incidentally are where The matches will be played if the series is held in SA. Although just going from memory here but Lyon has usually bowled pretty well in SA.
Simon
Guest
Great picks. I'm a fan of Nice Maddinson too. I said at least the start of the summer Maddinson/Green should be our 5/6 and that hasn't changed. He seems to get better the harder the scenario, exactly what we need. I also think Swepson has to be getting close. Lyno deserves his spot, when he's on he's so valuable to us. But that Indian series and even watching him in the shield before it it seemed like he was just missing a little bit of that magic his bowling often has.
Michael Steel
Roar Pro
It's unlikely that they will take 22 players
Link
Guest
Lyons 398 wickets probably buy him a few more series
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Yep Lyon has got to be on notice now based on his performance against India.