The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Ashes Scout: Broad's bunnies? Australia lock in left-handed openers, Stokes 'on track', Root addresses Yorkshire scandal

12th November, 2021
Advertisement
Autoplay in... 6 (Cancel)
Up Next No more videos! Playlist is empty -
Replay
Cancel
Next
Editor
12th November, 2021
41
1235 Reads

Having been all but confirmed by chairman of selectors George Bailey as David Warner’s opening partner in the first Ashes Test, a defining series looms for Marcus Harris.

Welcome back to Ashes Scout, where The Roar will take a closer look at all the news you need to know ahead of a blockbuster summer of cricket.

After 10 Tests, with an unflattering average of 23.77 and a highest score of 79, Harris is yet to set the world on fire for Australia.

The Ashes shapes as either the making of the gifted 29-year-old or a fatal missed chance.

Like Warner, Harris has struggled facing England pacer Stuart Broad, who claimed his wicket three times in six innings during the 2019 Ashes in the UK, trapping him LBW twice. Harris finished that campaign with a dire 58 runs at 9.66.

Broad, who famously terrorised Warner bowling around the wicket, won’t benefit from hooping swing-conducive conditions or the Dukes ball down under, but former Australian quick Damien Fleming is concerned about two left-handers opening the batting.

“I’d like a righthand batsman to partner Warner and blunt the effectiveness of Broad and [Ollie] Robinson to left handers, so ‘Harry’ may have to wait until Warner finishes to get back his spot,” Fleming wrote in his column for The Roar.

Advertisement

But with Will Pucovski recovering from his latest concussion, Australia’s right-handed opening options are limited. Another leftie, veteran Usman Khawaja, is considered Harris’ main competition to combine with Warner in Brisbane.

“You are looking to pick our best players and back them in … The idea is to get some strategies in place against Stuart Broad around the wicket and work your way through it,” champion ex-Aussie batter Mike Hussey told Fox Cricket’s The Follow-On podcast this week.

“I personally would be going for the best players and then just trust it and get out there and win Australia the Ashes.”

Harris has produced fleeting periods of dominance at Test level, particularly in his maiden series against India in 2018-19 where the left-hander reached double-figures in seven of eight innings – including two fifties – but couldn’t convert his starts.

Bailey has seen enough to suggest Harris is close to putting it all together.

“It gives you great confidence as a selector when you know your opening batters are locked away as far as a Test series goes,” Bailey told RSN Radio on Thursday.

Advertisement

“It’s a hard spot to bat and to get those places settled, it’s really important.

“Harry’s only had a limited opportunity in the past, and he’s been in and out a bit, so we’d love nothing more than for him to hopefully get an opportunity to get an extended run at it.

“What we have liked is his consistency. He’s obviously been a prolific run-scorer at domestic level here, but also love the fact he went overseas and had a great year for Leicester as well.”

Harris’ decision to ply his trade in the UK during the winter – peeling off 655 runs, including three tons, at a tick under 55 for Leicester in the County Championship – has paid dividends.

Marcus Harris of Leicestershire.

(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

The opener continued his strong form for the Vics with 137 against NSW in late October, though he was dismissed for single figures by the Blues in his three other Sheffield Shield digs.

“I feel like I’ve got a good body of work under my belt over the last four or five years and going and playing in England, I had a good season over there, so I’m feeling good,” Harris said after his most recent hundred.

Advertisement

Khawaja’s case for Test reinstatement is hard to ignore – and could still earn him a middle-order berth – but Hussey remains in favour of retaining Harris to open at the Gabba.

“If the [first] Test started tomorrow, I think he is someone that has gone away, worked on his game, played really well in county cricket through the winter and improved,” Hussey said.

“I know he didn’t get anything in the Shield game against NSW at the MCG, but before that he got a Shield hundred as well. He’s the incumbent.

“He’s the guy that I’d go for at this stage.”

Stokes ‘on track’ for Brisbane Test

In scary news for Australia, England all-rounder Ben Stokes appears certain to suit up for the first Test having impressed in training on the Gold Coast.

The 30-year-old, who has been out of action since July due to a broken finger and mental ill-health, only returned to training a fortnight ago ahead of the match at the Gabba starting on December 8.

Advertisement

England captain Joe Root is enthused about his star charge’s progress.

“It looks like he’s on track and it’s really exciting,” Root told reporters after the first batch of the old enemy’s Test squad completed three days of hard lockdown in Queensland.

“It’s been remarkable to see how far he’s come. It looks very promising. Ben has been fully involved in training the last couple of days. We’ve seen him at training, having him back among things is always great.

“It’s really nice to have him back involved.

“It has been very light, we are just trying to acclimatise as best we can. He’s had a bat, a bowl, taken some catches, doing his fielding work slightly separately.

Ben Stokes

(Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images)

“It’s managing that excitement and making sure we don’t push him too hard so he’s ready, as best as he can be, for that first game.”

Advertisement

Root added that 35-year-old quick Stuart Broad is bowling in the nets and “getting those workloads back up” after tearing his calf in August.

Root speaks out on Yorkshire racism scandal

Elsewhere, Root posted a lengthy statement to social media addressing the racism scandal involving Yorkshire County Cricket Club, where he has played since coming through the academy as a youngster.

Root said he wanted cricket to be a sport that “feels equal and safe” and conceded the scandal, which arose after spinner Azeem Rafiq said he was subjected to racism and bullying while playing at Yorkshire, had “fractured our game and torn lives apart”.

The fallout from Rafiq’s revelations has included the recent resignation of Yorkshire CEO Mark Arthur. The club is also suspended from hosting international cricket.

“It’s my club and I care passionately about it,” Root said.

“I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting. There is no debate about racism, no one side or the other. It is simply intolerable.

Advertisement

Root added: “I want to see change and actions that will see Yorkshire County Cricket Club rise from this with a culture that harnesses a diverse environment with trust across all communities that support cricket in the county.”

Later, when fronting the media, Root said he couldn’t recall any incidents of racism at Yorkshire but “it is clear things have happened at the club and we have to make sure we eradicate it”.

Those comments seemingly prompted Rafiq, who is of Pakistani origin, to tweet: “Disappointed is not even the feeling. Incredibly hurt. But uncomfortable truths are hard to accept it seems.”

Advertisement

WA confident of fifth Test being staged in Perth

Tasmania have made a bid to host the fifth Ashes Test at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval due to Western Australia’s border closures.

While Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein told parliament on Wednesday that he would write to Cricket Australia and make a formal case for the match to be relocated from Perth, the Western Australian government believes it will proceed at Optus Stadium on January 14.

According to a News Corp report, the Test venue could be locked in as early as next week following a new five-day quarantine proposal that would allow England and Australian players to train and play throughout that period.

Players wouldn’t be permitted to have any contact with fans, of course, and per reports in the West Australian paper, it could mean balls touched by the crowd – like when a six is hit – being replaced.

However, Western Australia Cricket officials reportedly said they had not discussed such a proposal.

In a statement published by News Corp, a Western Australian government spokesperson said they are “confident an Ashes Test can be played safely in Perth, based on our health advice and under our quarantine and testing protocols, just like the AFL grand final was”.

Advertisement

Gutwein, meanwhile, said Tasmania was ready to step in. Bellerive Oval was meant to host a Test against Afghanistan in late November, however it has been postponed indefinitely.

Sports opinion delivered daily 

   

With Australian captain Tim Paine potentially retiring after this summer, Gutwein hopes the wicketkeeper will get the chance to play before a home crowd.

“It would be just fantastic to see Tim play at Bellerive as captain of Australia. We’ve been having ongoing discussions with Cricket Tasmania and the CEO of Cricket Australia,” Gutwein said.

close