The selectors named a 17-player group on Wednesday which will cover the WTC decider at The Oval from June 7 and the opening two matches of the Ashes although the squad to face India will need to be trimmed to 15 by May 28.
The Ashes party will then be reassessed after the Lord’s Test with changes possible for the last three matches at Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval depending on how the series is poised.
From the players who toured India, Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Swepson and Matt Kuhnemann have not been included. The uncapped Josh Inglis will provide wicketkeeping back-up to Alex Carey. Cameron Bancroft, by a large margin the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield season, has missed out.
“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,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “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.”
Eyes remain on David Warner
“We like Matt Renshaw, think he provides good flexibility for us,” Bailey said. “We like the skillset he brings through the middle and we also know he can bat at the top.
“The one thing we have found over a number of years, but certainly on the back of the Sri Lanka tour last year, is that it’s challenging to bring guys out of a winter where you aren’t playing any cricket then expect to try and perform if they are needed. Renners is having the winter off from being over in the UK [in county cricket] so important to have him there and get some cricket into him.”
Along with Harris, who did earn a contract and is currently playing for Gloucestershire where he has started impressively, they give the selectors plenty of top-order candidates.
The future of Warner remains one of the focal points of this intense period of Test cricket for Australia as he returns to the scene of where he averaged just 9.50 in 2019. Both Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald have previously stopped short of endorsing Warner for a full Ashes series with Bailey again indicating that selection against England would be viewed differently to India.
“Not specifically to Dave, but we’ll just get through that Test Championship,” Bailey said. “We’ll be planning behind the scenes but we’ll have a look at what that looks like as we get there. Different opposition and different surface in terms of going from The Oval to start the Ashes. So we’ll work through that.”
Back-up for Cameron Green
Marsh’s recall provides as close to like-for-like cover that is available for Cameron Green. He was in fine form during last month’s ODI series against India and has since returned to bowling in the IPL after his ankle surgery. His last Test was against England at The Oval in the 2019 Ashes where he claimed a five-wicket haul.
“Not having Greeny during part of the India series highlighted to us the value of having that as a back-up,” Bailey said. “Mitch has performed well in the UK in the past and we think he can add some real value.”
Intriguingly, Bailey did not rule out the two playing in the same side. “That’s a potential, absolutely,” he said. “It would be exciting times if you could start to squeeze two or three allrounders into your top six of they were batting well enough.
Without Neser and Morris in the squad (Jhye Richardson was also not in contention due to injury) it means there are four specialist quicks for the first part of the tour – captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland. With six Tests in under two months it is expected that there will be some rotation among the pace attack. Hazlewood is still making his way back from the Achilles injury which ended his India tour and will use the IPL as part of his return to action.
Australia squad for WTC final* and first two Ashes Tests Pat Cummins (capt), 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, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner * – Final WTC squad to be cut to 15
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo