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All-rounder Mitchell Marsh has received a surprise recall for Australia’s tilt at the World Test Championship and Ashes in England while David Warner has survived the axe but selectors have included Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw as cover for the struggling opener.
The Australian selectors on Wednesday announced a squad for the final against India at The Oval on June 7 and the first two Ashes Tests against England at Edgbaston and Lord’s.
Selectors will announce another squad for the final three Ashes fixtures depending on form and injuries as Pat Cummins’ side looks to claim the WTC trophy and retain cricket’s most famous urn during a momentous eight-week tour of the UK.
Selection panel chairman George Bailey said Marsh had been included as cover for Cameron Green to provide balance to the line-up if the first-choice all-rounder was unavailable at any stage. Australia paid the price in the first two Tests of the recent tour of India after fielding a side with only four frontline bowlers.
Marsh has been dominant in the white-ball arena for Australia in recent years but has not played a Test since his 32nd appearance in a baggy green cap on the last Ashes tour in 2019.
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Middle-order batter Peter Handscomb can feel hard done by after being dropped following an admirable performance in India recently while spinners Ashton Agar, Mitchell Swepson and Matt Kuhnemann have also made way from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad.
(Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)
Travis Head, after filling in as a stopgap opener in India, will return to his preferred No.5 slot.
Cameron Bancroft, who was the leading scorer by the length of the straight in the Sheffield Shield with 945 runs at 59.06, can also consider himself unlucky not to get a seat on the plane to England as an opening option, particularly given Harris managed 601 at 37.56 for Victoria.
Warner is under immense pressure to perform if, as expected, he gets the nod to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order after a modest three-year stretch of 914 Test runs at an average of 29.48 with his double-ton at the MCG last summer his only century during his extended slump.
His India tour ended early when he suffered a fractured elbow in his third innings for the series after cobbling together a meagre 26 combined runs.
Marsh was preferred ahead of younger state teammate Aaron Hardie as the back-up all-rounder to another West Australian, Cameron Green.
He only played one first-class match last summer for WA, making 108 not out while batting at No.7 in a nine-wicket win over Tasmania at the WACA Ground but he did not bowl in that match as he was on the comeback trail from an ankle injury.
“Great to have Mitch back,” Bailey said. “He hasn’t really had the opportunity to be bowling in longer format cricket for some time. The operation that he had just prior to Christmas has worked really well and we’re confident that we can get him back and up available as an all-rounder.
“Not having Greenie during part of the Indian series, highlighted to us the value of having that as a back-up. Mitch has performed well in the UK in the past and we think he can add some real value.
“We really pleased with [Hardie’s] progression. No doubt in time his name will very much be part of these conversations but at the moment, Cameron and Mitch we still see ahead of him.”
Fast bowler Lance Morris has been ruled out of the squad with a back injury while West Australian teammate Josh Inglis has been recalled as the back-up wicketkeeper to Alex Carey.
Bailey said Morris would undergo further scans on his back next month and while he didn’t rule him out of being included in the squad for later in the series, he is all but certain to be shut down with a view to being fresh for the home summer.
Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood are the only specialist fast bowlers chosen in the squad while off-spinner Todd Murphy has been included after his impressive first Test series in India as Nathan Lyon’s understudy.
It’s a slight gamble only having four frontline quicks, particularly after Hazlewood has been bothered by side strains and Achilles problems in recent months, but Bailey said Michael Neser and Sean Abbott, who are in the midst of English county stints, are likely to be called in if needed.
David Warner walks off after he was dismissed by Mohammed Shami. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
“Josh Hazlewood is still building to his full capacity through the IPL so hopefully he gets a few games over there in the back half of that tournament and starts to ramp up his return.
“He’s very professional. He knows exactly what and where he will need to be to be at his best for the Ashes. In some ways that smaller smaller workload through four-over bursts in the IPL might be a nice build for him.”
Bailey added that it was possible that the pace quartet could play all six Tests in the two-month stretch but conceded there was “two or three occasions with a very, very short turnaround so have to be aware of that”.
Australia take on India in the Ultimate Test at The Oval on June 7 before locking horns with England in Birmingham on June 16.
Squad for WTC final and first two Ashes Tests: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner