Australia has recalled Marcus Harris, Mitchell Marsh, and Josh Inglis to the team for the World Test Championship Final and the Ashes series while Cameron Bancroft, the leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield, and Michael Neser, the second-highest wicket-taker, are both left out of Cricket Australia’s 17-man squad.
Australia has recalled Marcus Harris, Mitchell Marsh, and Josh Inglis to the team for the World Test Championship Final and the Ashes series.
Cameron Bancroft, the leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield, and Michael Neser, the second-highest wicket-taker, are both left out of Cricket Australia’s 17-man squad. Veteran Opener David Warner, who had a difficult tour of India before being injured, keeps his spot.
Cricket Australia selector George Bailey said the squad would be reviewed ahead of the second Ashes Test with the marquee five-match series against England would start soon after the Test Championship final against India.
In the Shield season, Harris, 30, had a 601-run season for Victoria and scored two hundred but he was still far behind Bancroft, who had 945 runs at 59.06 and four centuries.
With Warner and Usman Khawaja as the current opening duo and Travis Head expected to return to the middle order after a successful stint up top on the tour of India, Australia now has three left-handers to choose from.
However, the 31-year-old Marsh played his last of 32 Test matches in England during the 2019 Ashes series. He has since been sidelined by several injuries, but his quick century against Tasmania in the only first-class match he played this season highlighted his potential.
He will serve as a backup all-round option to Cameron Green and support the Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, and Josh Hazlewood four-man fast-bowling attack.
Todd Murphy, who had a fantastic debut series in India, is the team’s second spinner behind veteran Nathan Lyon while Inglis is the reserve keeper-bat behind Alex Carey. Both Lance Morris and Peter Handscomb, who had successful outings in India, are left out.
“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,”
Bailey said.
“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 will provide valuable depth and flexibility within their respective skill sets. 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, who will depart to the UK in late May, will trim their squad to 15 as per ICC rules for the WTC Final. The Oval will host the one-off, high-profile match against India beginning on June 7. The first Ashes Test will begin at Edgbaston on June 20.
WTC Final and Men’s Ashes squad: 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.
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