Australian men's World Test Championship and Ashes squad

[MenInG]

The National Selection Panel (NSP) has named a 17-player men’s squad for the Qantas Tour of England, encompassing the ICC World Test Championship final and opening two Ashes Tests.

Australia plays India at The Oval in the ICC World Test Championship final followed by Ashes Tests at Edgbaston, Lord’s, Headingly, Old Trafford and The Oval.

The NSP will evaluate the makeup of the below squad following the first three matches. A 15-player squad for the ICC World Test Championship will be named on May 28.

Australia:

Pat Cummins (NSW/Penrith Cricket Club) (c)
Scott Boland (VIC/Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club)
Alex Carey (SA/Glenelg Cricket Club)
Cameron Green (WA/Subiaco-Floreat Cricket Club)
Marcus Harris (VIC/St Kilda Cricket Club)
Josh Hazlewood (NSW/St George Cricket Club)
Travis Head (SA/Tea Tree Gully Cricket Club)
Josh Inglis (WA/Joondalup Cricket Club)
Usman Khawaja (QLD/Valley District Cricket Club)
Marnus Labuschagne (QLD/Redlands Cricket Club)
Nathan Lyon (NSW/Northern District Cricket Club)
Mitchell Marsh (WA/Fremantle Cricket Club)
Todd Murphy (VIC/St Kilda Cricket Club)
Matthew Renshaw (QLD/Toombul District CC)
Steve Smith (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club) (vc)
Mitchell Starc (NSW/Manly Warringah Cricket Club)
David Warner (NSW/Randwick Petersham Cricket Club)

Marcus Harris, Josh Inglis and Mitchell Marsh have been recalled while Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Swepson and Matt Kuhnemann were not retained from the squad which toured India. Lance Morris has been ruled out of the squad with injury.

NSP Chair of Selectors George Bailey said: “The World Test Championship is the culmination of more than two years of consistent performance at Test level by the team and the individuals involved, leading into an Ashes series which is always highly anticipated.

“The UK is a very different assignment from our most recent tour of India and some of the changes are based upon the conditions we are anticipating.

“Marcus, Josh and Mitch return to the squad and provide valuable depth and flexibility within their respective skillsets.

“We see value in revisiting the squad following the second Ashes Test given the short turnaround between the WTC final and the first Ashes Test, along with the length of the tour.”

Australia plays India in the World Test Championship at the Oval from June 7-11 before moving to the first Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston from June 16-20.

 

[ahmadharis1]

Pretty straightforward team.

Warner is an interesting pick but I guess they're backing him for the first 2 tests before calling it. He's been a shell of himself in Tests and let's be honest he's not great outside Australia.

Todd Murphy is a pretty cool selection too, intriguing spinner, but is it too early?

Only selecting 4 fast bowlers is worrying, Michael Neser should have been included, he's got the solid county record behind him too

How on earth does Marcus Harris keep getting selected lol

 

[MenInG]

Australia have started to show their hand for the ICC World Test Championship final against India after unveiling the group set to tackle the early stages of a bumper tour of England.

As Australia revealed a 17-player touring party, selections and omissions provide clues for their blueprint to beat India in the WTC final at The Oval, and their plan for the opening two Ashes Tests against England at Edgbaston and Lord's.

As predicted, David Warner has been included after missing the final two Test matches of India due to both a concussion and a hairline fracture of his elbow, though two other left-handed openers have also been named in Matthew Renshaw and Marcus Harris.

Warner found his mojo with an even 200 against South Africa at the Boxing Day Test match last year, though it is the only knock in his last 19 Test innings where he has passed 50.

The veteran opener made just 95 runs across 10 innings in the 2019 Ashes, dismissed by Stuart Broad seven times as the right-armer took to bowling around the wicket and swinging the ball away from the left-handed batter.

Batting in England has been tough for the Australian group on recent Ashes tours, with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne the only players in the 2023 squad to average more than 30. Warner is next-best for Australia with an average of 26 in England, and is set to join Usman Khawaja, at least for now.

Renshaw made his case for selection through a strong Australia A tour of New Zealand and a recent run of good domestic form, while Harris is playing for Gloucestershire as part of his late run for the tour.

Harris made 59 and 148 against Glamorgan in his first County Championship appearance of the season to push his case, on top of his 601 runs across nine matches in last season's Sheffield Shield.

There was seemingly little interest for Australia opting for a right/left combination despite the frailties revealed in 2019, as Cameron Bancroft was left out of the squad.

Even after his admirable efforts at the top of the order in India, Travis Head will almost certainly slide down to No.5, playing in a similar role that saw him race to sixth on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Batting rankings.

Head weathered top-line bowling in India while opening, most notably scoring 90 in the second innings of the Ahmedabad Test, as well as closing out a victory at Indore with a score of 49*.

The 29-year-old now boasts a Test average of 45.40, a number that has surged higher due in large part to his shift in thinking, now putting more pressure on the opposition through his attacking stroke play.

The left-hander put England to the sword in Australia’s last home Ashes campaign, blazing scores of 152 and 101 with the former score at better than a run a ball. Two scores in the 90s and a knock of 175 against the West Indies followed at the start of the Australia 2022/23 summer, with three fifties against South Africa coming later.

The omission of Peter Handscomb suggests Australia are set in their order from No.3 down to No.7, and it looks like Head has the all-clear to bat with the same freedom England have exhibited under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.

Mitch Marsh on ice as a nod to Cameron Green?

Naming Mitchell Marsh in the 17-man group confirms Australia will continue with a batting all-rounder in their next three Test matches, and the selection panel can breathe easy knowing there are two dependable options for the role.

After his breakout century in India, two-metre Cameron Green could make a case for being the game’s brightest young all-rounder, having also claimed 23 Test wickets which includes a five-wicket haul against South Africa in last year’s Boxing Day Test.

Having long yearned for a capable player in the role, the selection panel have Marsh on stand-by should Green go down, though it would be remiss not to acknowledge Marsh’s match-winning abilities in his own right.

Making a century in his one Sheffield Shield appearance of the season for Western Australia, and his exploits in the recent ODI series in India, Marsh is a team luxury.

The 31-year-old's 5/46 in the final Ashes Test four years ago only nails in his credentials, and a Player of the Match performance at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final in 2021 proves his poise under pressure.

The omission of Michael Neser, tipped by some to sneak into the squad as fast-bowling protection, may just hint that there are no concerns surrounding the fitness of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

The pair have both missed several Test matches through Achilles and finger injuries respectively, though Hazlewood is tipped to find his fitness in the IPL, and Starc came out the other end of the India tour seemingly unscathed.

Having only been deployed in the fourth and fifth Test in 2019, Mitchell Starc will need little motivation to unleash across Australia’s six matches in the UK, and Hazlewood unsurprisingly enjoys English conditions and has taken 36 wickets at 25.83 across eight Test matches.

The pair join captain Pat Cummins to form a likely fast-bowling trio, while Scott Boland, who should also relish England conditions, backs up the group.

Tearaway quick Lance Morris, who has been around the Test squad as he shows plenty of promise, was out of squad consideration due to injury.

Australia touring party

Pat Cummins (captain), 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 (vice-captain), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

ICC

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Seam and swing bowling is key in England.
It usually terrorizes the Indian batsmen - Hazelwood is not a big swinger but I look forward to see him causing major dents in the Indian batting line.

 

[MenInG]

Australia have difficult decisions to make on their XI selections for the ICC World Test Championship final against India, but we make an early call on their line-up for the decider.

Australia named a powerful 17-player touring party for the World Test Championship final at The Oval and start of their Ashes campaign, with their standout performers in the current WTC cycle all available.

From the outside, seven members of the team look assured of a spot in the final, with Usman Khawaja (1608 runs), Marnus Labuschagne (1509), Steve Smith (1252), Travis Head (1208), as well as Nathan Lyon (83 wickets), Pat Cummins (53) and Mitchell Starc (51), all but set to appear after their recent WTC efforts.

Each of the in-form Australians are also ranked among the top seven run-scorers or wicket-takers in the current WTC cycle with just one match remaining, and loom as pivotal to their team's hopes of a maiden WTC title.

The other regulars in the side that topped the WTC standings ahead of India have also been included in the touring party, for what mostly seems a settled outfit. In spite of this, several selections and spots raise as many questions as they answer in a squad that needs to cover multiple form and fitness concerns.

David Warner returns to the red-ball set up after being forced out of the Test series in India early due to an elbow injury, but will need to hold off Marcus Harris and Matthew Renshaw to earn a place in the WTC final.

The veteran opener has shown signs in the shorter formats that he is on the brink of rediscovering his best form, yet it is increasingly hard to ignore that he has reached three figures just once since the start of 2021.

Warner’s average of 9.5 in 10 innings the last time Australia played Tests in England conditions in 2019 will also be on the selectors’ minds, but fellow left-handers Harris and Renshaw have failed to do enough with their opportunities to force an unlikely change.

Harris had similar troubles against England four years ago as he averaged 9.66 from three Tests, while Renshaw made only four runs in three innings in vastly different conditions in India earlier this year.

Former Australian captain backs Warner for WTC final
Cameron Green can be locked into the all-rounder position especially after his last three Tests included a breakthrough century in India, as well as an unbeaten fifty and a five-for against South Africa.

White-ball specialist Mitchell Marsh has surged back into the squad and has a proven record of performing on the biggest stages in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 final, but it would be a bold selection to unseat Green to play in a first Test since the Ashes in 2019.

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey also struggled in India with 56 runs from six Test innings but is at little risk of being displaced by Josh Inglis when the same teams meet again on neutral ground.

Arguably the toughest call will be to decide the third pacer alongside captain Cummins and Starc, with two more-than-capable contenders named in the touring party.

Scott Boland has barely put a foot wrong since his shock Australia debut to claim 28 scalps in seven Tests at the measly average of 13.42, while Josh Hazlewood has the experience of 59 Tests and 222 wickets on his side.

Australia WTC final squad: All the talking points
Hazlewood has also played eight Tests in England for 36 wickets and seems to relish the conditions, but the 32-year-old is in a race against time to prove his fitness after a frustrating run of injuries that include an Achilles issue that sidelined him from all four Tests in India.

Australia will name their official 15-player squad for the ICC World Test Championship final on May 28, with the starting XI set to be unveiled when the match starts on June 7.

Predicted Australia XI
David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (vc), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

ICC

 

[gazza619]

A pointless event is this World Test Championship Final.

I would be more excited to see a final test of competitive series where the scores are level.