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
Michael Keeffe
Roar Guru
I knew you'd be pro Bancroft (I wouldn't have a problem with him being in the squad), but I couldn't work out why you were so pro-Harris when all the facts put Renshaw ahead of him at the moment. Then I remembered Harris is from WA originally... it all makes sense to me now. Let's just send the WA shield team and/or anyone who comes from WA.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Lance Morris is playing in county matches but isn't available for the squad because of 1). Injury. 2). Not bowling well in the nets. 3). Not being called Mitchell. Quite the conundrum.
Spudd
Roar Rookie
Just 3 changes are needed, George Bailey, Warner and the biggest mistake ever Cummins...gone, gone & gone gone!
Opeo
Roar Rookie
True actually. You can add Maxwell to the list of 30 players that should be ahead of Marsh. That reminds me, Pucovski. I already mentioned Harris, Handscomb and Maddinson so mitch Marsh would not even get a spot in a full strength victorian side.
Steele
Roar Rookie
Glenn Maxwell should have played more Test’s imo! He’s a very gifted cricketer, just didn’t play Shield as he got older because of his white ball commitment’s. Still averages 39 though, which is as good as most candidates not in the team. Great fielder as well as some offices thrown in. Don’t really see the comedy in his inclusion tbh. He’s just another player the arm chair experts like to deride.
Micko
Roar Rookie
De Grandhomme? Zimbabwean.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
We do not know if he has improved because he has not been playing. England scoring fast is not a reason to include a good white ball batsman that is not in our best 30 red ball batsmen. The squad needs four openers thst average at least 37 MUCH more than it needs a guy who averages 33 and has not played red ball cricket in three years. As i said, if Marsh went back to the Shield for even like four matches and averaged 50, Handscomb would still be stiff because he has done that for three years, but the argument to include Marsh for his batting would at least have some semblance of a leg to stand on. As it stands the decision is utterly bonkers. Maybe Shane Watson and Glen Maxwell can have a go on the australian middle too?
Steele
Roar Rookie
We don’t have to agree, but as I said if they are flogging us with Bazball conditions and Head or Green are absolutely terrible, I can see an angle for his conclusion. I also think you haven’t accepted he has improved as a batsman which is subjective. If don’t think we need anymore than four openers in the squad.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Bancroft has played test cricket since sandpaper-gate. There is no conspiracy. Harris and Renshaw have better cases to be in the squad. Simple.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Just because England scores fast does not mean Australia has to… I do love scoring fast as a tactic, but doing it just because an opposition is doing it is illogical.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Care to revisit Bancroft's form?
Opeo
Roar Rookie
I actually looked up the NZ bowlers from one of those matches. Not one was in the was in the top 20 best bowlers in the NZ domestic season. People have joked about it being NZ’s C team, but the situation might even be a bit worse than that. For some reason the bowlers for the Australian A team were similarly weak. They sent none of the 30 year-olds and the best young players like Sutherland and Morris had county contracts, so all of a sudden they were sending a guy who is like Victoria’s fourth best fast bowler over.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
BAHAHAHAHAHAHABAHAHAHAHAHAHABAHAHAHAHAHAHABAHAHAHAHAHAHA Foreign players are not allowed to play in the Shield… LMFAO. The arrogance is unreal. Ollie Robinson is the fifth best bowler in the world and averages under against the Australian TEST team. He plays in county division two. Cheteshwar Pujara averages 50 with the bat against the Australian TEST team, he plays in division two. Mohammad Abbas and Kyle Abbott both average less than 25 with the ball against the Australian TEST team. They both play county cricket. Steve Smith is playing in division two and he does not even play Shield cricket.
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Bancroft does not get runs in county cricket.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Marsh is terrific against a moving ball. I think you are confusing him with another player. You don't seem to know much about Marsh.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Everyone gets runs in county cricket and that NZ tour was a joke. The standard was suburban grade cricket. Renshaw is not a ridiculous pick, just ridiculous to pick him ahead of Bancroft. Banners’ exclusion is the height of pettiness by CA.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Thomas Hearns was a hitter too
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Watson? Reply to 13thman
Opeo
Roar Rookie
Uh huh… “The middle order batting depth is thin. It’s not 90s Australian batting depth. He basically beat out Handscomb and Hardie. Not that outrageous. Name any other middle order candidate that’s stiff?” This sounded strongly like you were arguing for him to be in the squad for his batting. If Head or Smith get injured all of the guys I listed above, with exception to S. Marsh and Maddinson, as you rightly pointed out, are objectively ahead of M. Marsh. There are probably even more that I forgot about… Jimmy Peirson, Hilton Cartwright, Tim Ward, Nathan McAndrew, J. Weatherald. These guys all have better first-class averages than Marsh and have actually been playing. Marsh is so far back as a batsman it is not funny. If you like him as an all rounder, whatever, I disagree, but there might only be like five all rounders in the country that are ahead of him, and maybe only like three if we you want a batting all rounder, not flipping 30 like there are batsmen.
Craig
Roar Rookie
I do. Being formally acknowledged as the premier Test playing nation is a huge deal imho. The one off match will give us a chance to wage some revenge against those Indians.