- Selectors recall player who has not played Test cricket since 2010
- Cameron Bancroft and Shaun Marsh also included for first two Tests
Australia’s selectors have confirmed the remarkable, radical overhaul of their side for the first two Ashes Tests with Tim Paine and Shaun Marsh recalled, Matt Renshaw dropped, Peter Nevill overlooked and, in one final twist, Chadd Sayers called up as part of a 13-man squad.
This means Australia are set to make six changes – a number unprecedented since the advent of World Series Cricket – to the XI that played their last Test, against Bangladesh in Chittagong in September. Only the captain Steve Smith, David Warner, Peter Handscomb, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon are set to be retained.
Paine’s recall after seven years remains the greatest surprise. He was not selected by Tasmania for the opening two rounds of Sheffield Shield action, but did make 52 when captaining the Cricket Australia XI against the tourists in Adelaide. He was subsequently recalled by Tasmania – but as a specialist batsman, although he has just one first-class century in 91 matches, and that came way back in October 2006.
“Tim was identified as an international player a long time ago and has always been renowned as a very good gloveman, also performing well for us whenever he has represented Australia in any format,” said Trevor Hohns, the interim chairman of selectors. “His batting form in recent outings for the Cricket Australia XI and Tasmania has been good.”
As Renshaw’s form has plummeted, Cameron Bancroft’s batting for Western Australia has made him impossible to ignore. He has been chosen to open with David Warner while Shaun Marsh is back at No6 ahead of Hilton Cartwright or Glenn Maxwell.
Of Renshaw, Hohns said: “We still view Matthew as a player of immense talent, but he is out of form at the moment and we don’t feel an Ashes Test match is the best place for him to find form. We would like him to go back to first-class cricket and push his name forward with the selection panel through big runs.”
he uncapped 30-year-old Sayers, who took 62 Sheffield Shield wickets last year, bowls with no great pace but finds any movement on offer and has been selected not with an eye on the first Test at the Gabba, but the second at Adelaide Oval, his home ground, under lights and with the pink ball.
He is one of five fast bowlers in the squad with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood set to start in Brisbane, and Jackson Bird providing cover.
“It took us quite a while because there were several contenders for several positions,” said Hohns. “There were a lot of underperformers as well, so we really didn’t have anybody jumping out at us apart from Cameron Bancroft, who put a case forward that was irresistible. We want to raise the bar .. not [reward] mediocre performances.”