It's that time of year again, two of cricket's oldest foes go head-to-head in a mouth-watering Test Series.
After their T20I World Cup success, the Australia squad is buoyed by the possibilities of retaining the Ashes on home soil.
The national selection panel, led by George Bailey, named their 15-man squad, as well as 11 players for the Australia A side.
The two squads below:
Australia’s 15-man Ashes Squad: Pat Cummins (C), Steve Smith (VC), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner. (only 14 named, no replacement confirmed for Tim Paine).
Australia A XI players: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Nic Maddinson, Mitchell Marsh, Matt Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Bryce Street.
With torrential rain predicted to hit Queensland this week, the selectors could be forced to pick their Best XI based on what they have seen in the 2021/22 summer.
This could prove a headache as many in the squad have not had a three-day/four-day hit-out since the World Cup.
Last week, Travis Head and Usman Khawaja squared off in a scintillating spaghetti western shootout in the 13th match of the Sheffield Shield 2021/22 season.
Both Khawaja and Head started the match with single-figure scores in the first innings.
Yet came into their own in the second innings, Head made a gutsy 101 off 149 balls and Khawaja let loose in Queensland’s small chase of 87, powering to 52 not out off 36 balls in under 11 overs of batting.
Khawaja has stamped his authority as a selection bolter with 460 runs in his first four Shield games at 65.71 At 34 years of age, Khawaja’s selection does go against Australia’s youth policy, yet his numbers can’t be overlooked.
Since his memorable knock of 230 off 127 balls against Queensland in the Marsh Cup match, Travis Head has given George Bailey and co. a lot to ponder with a mix bag period of cricket. Scores of 55, 23, 9, 21, 14, 8 and 101 in his last seven innings, five of them were played on greenish wickets.
Now we turn our attention to the Alex Carey vs. Josh Inglis debate.
This is their First-Class stat comparison across the last two Australian summers.
| Mat | Inn | NO | 100 | 50 | O | Runs | Ave | ||
| Carey | FC | 8 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 452 | 37.67 |
| Inglis | FC | 9 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 626 | 62.6 |
Both players are dependable behind the stumps and have the ability to flick the switch and change the tempo of games. We saw this with Inglis in England for Leicestershire and Carey’s knock of 101 off 93 balls against Queensland.
Carey case for selection is curious, his red-ball form is concerning, yet there’s a notable difference to his game in the white-ball form.
Inglis who has the backing of greats such as Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne, has been compared to India's destructive keeper Rishabh Pant. Pant's willingness to risk his wicket to change the game for his side defeated Australia last summer, could Australia take a leaf out of their book?
Before we get stuck into the 15-man squad, let’s look below at some of the Australia A Bolters who are eager to make their presence felt.
Scott Boland (Victoria)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 16, Wkts: 61, Avg: 23.69, S/R: 55.20, 5Wi: 2, 10Wi: 0.
Scott Boland has been in impeccable form, starting the 2021/22 season with 15 wickets from only two matches at an average of 10.80 and an economy of 1.79. Complementing his low economy, Boland also has the knack of picking up second innings wickets, bowling Victoria to victory against New South Wales at the MCG.
With the selectors discussing the possibility of resting their usual four quicks throughout the Ashes, Boland’s 91 wickets at 25.71 at the MCG and 15 wickets at 24.71 at the SCG could ease their minds in the process.
Henry Hunt (South Australia)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 21, Inn: 40, Runs: 1506, Avg: 38.61, 100: 5, 50: 5.
South Australia’s opening batter has risen quickly up the ranks. Henry Hunt has made his presence felt with 968 runs at 48.40 from his last two Shield seasons. Hunt’s 236-ball, 134 was a standout as he batted all 75.1 overs and made 60% of South Australia’s runs.
His ability to bat for long periods (Hunt has averaged 105 balls in his last 21 innings) has been developed through the gritty opener putting in more time on his defensive game and the results are showing.
Mitch Marsh (Western Australia)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 2, Inn: 4, Runs: 140, Avg: 35.00, 100: 0, 50: 1, Wkts: 5, Avg: 29.
After his match-winning 75 against New Zealand in the 2021 T20I World Cup, Mitch Marsh received strong praise from many cricketing critics including former Test Captain’s Mark Taylor and Michael Clarke. With only two First-Class matches since the 2019 Ashes Series, Marsh does have 409 runs at 45.41, including two centuries against England and 15 wickets at 24.46 from his last Seven Ashes Tests.
Bryce Street (Queensland)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 21, Inn: 34, Runs: 1204, Avg: 37.62, 100: 4, 50: 4.
Bestowed with the hilarious nickname of ‘Wall Street’ due to his career strike-rate of 31.77, Bryce Street eats, breathes, dreams and lives cricket.
In fact, if you search him up on MyCricket, Street at only 23-years-of-age has played 482 registered matches and hit 17,003 runs, including 31-centuries. Street burst into the spotlight with his 513-minute, 345 against Victoria’s Second XI in 2019, yet there's one innings that sticks out for me.
Facing a New South Wales attack of, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Trent Copeland, Nathan Lyon and Sean Abbott in the 2020/21 Shield Final, Street stayed in for 68.3 overs making 46 off 207 balls, ably supporting Marnus Labuschagne who went on to make 192.
Mark Steketee (Queensland)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 19, Wkts: 73, Avg: 25.48, S/R: 54.45, 5Wi: 3, 10Wi: 1.
Another strong fast-bowler, Mark Steketee has been silently perfecting his craft. Like his Bulls teammate Michael Neser, Steketee can bowl long spells, which the selectors have noticed. Match figures of 10-92 off 50.4 overs against South Australia highlights his strength at keeping his good line and length. Named in the cancelled test squad for the tour of South Africa back in March, Steketee could still push his name up the order as he fights for sixth in line fast bowler spot with Scott Boland.
There are also a group of cricketers who are bubbling at the right time. These players could very well find themselves in the Australian Test Squad if a regular finds themselves out of form or injured.
Sean Abbott (New South Wales)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 19, Wkts: 51, Avg: 28.39, S/R: 62.39, 5Wi: 2, Runs: 885, Avg: 40.23.
After a strong Shield campaign last year with the bat, Sean Abbott’s price rose considerably with the selector's search for an all-rounder. 885 runs at 40.23 since the 2019 Ashes and 51 wickets at 28.39, some could say ‘SABA’ was unlucky to miss the 15-man Ashes Squad.
Yet I think he’s just in the wrong spot at the right time. Likened to the stop-start career of Andy Bichel, Abbott would get a game for other Test Nations, Australia, unfortunately, has too many Bowlers who can wield the willow and put important runs on the board.
Alex Carey (South Australia)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 14, Inn: 24, Runs: 928, Avg: 42.28, 100: 3, 50: 4, Ct: 48, St: 2.
Alex Carey’s fortunes have risen significantly in the last week. Already well known for his glovework, Carey’s 155 for district side Glenelg on the last Saturday and 101 off 93 balls in South Australia’s List A game against Queensland will give him and the selectors much-needed confidence after scores of 6, 0, 7, 5, 3 and 2 in his last six Shield innings.
Seemingly the successor to Tim Paine, Carey has 928 runs since the 2019 Ashes at an average of 42.28. If the selectors do go with Inglis, Carey will take the gloves for Australia A and even the captaincy too.
Nic Maddinson (Victoria)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 20, Inn: 32, Runs: 1512, Avg: 52.14, 100: 3, 50: 9.
Since famously departing New South Wales for Victoria, Nic Maddinson has done what the selectors have asked and made a mountain of runs. Maddinson pulled himself out of contention for the last summer series due to mental health and now fit and healthy he has had a couple of innings that have stood out to the selectors.
On a moving Sydney pitch at Drummoyne Oval, Maddinson looked like he was playing on a different wicket making 87 of Victoria’s 199 first innings runs. The next week against the same opposition, he made a chanceless 128 off 206 showing his maturity to bat through the innings.
Josh Inglis (Western Australia)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 20, Inn: 32, Runs: 1152, Avg: 41.14, 100: 3, 50: 5, Ct: 60, St: 2.
The rapid rise of Josh Inglis is gaining more traction, with the English-born wicket-keeper in frame to make his Test debut against the Country he grew up supporting. Three centuries in the 2020/21 Shield season forced the selectors of the 360-batter, this included 153 not out off 182 balls against South Australia batting at number seven (122 of those runs came from boundaries) and 125 off 122 balls against Victoria batting at number eight (76 of those runs came from boundaries).
If Inglis finds his way into the Test XI, we may see another Adam Gilchrist 2006/07 Ashes performance.
Now, let’s digest the 15-man Australian squad which is looking for its 34th series win in history.
Pat Cummins (New South Wales- Captain)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 11, Wkts: 47, Avg: 22.59, S/R: 51.89, 5Wi: 1.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 9, Wkts: 41, Avg: 22.02, S/R: 50.42, 5Wi: 1.
Australia’s newest Test Captain. Pat Cummins is Australia’s barometer and is rightfully the number one Test bowler in the world. No fast bowler has captained Australia since Ray Lindwall in 1956 and there are very few fast-bowling captains in history (Imran Khan, Courtney Walsh, Bob Willis and Wasim Akram stand out).
Dennis Lillee and Steve Waugh have both spoken in favour of Cummins taking the captaincy, speaking with cricket.com.au's Louis Cameron, Australian great Dennis Lillee said: "…He's 110 per cent all the time, whether the wicket is flat or not…He's a leader of men and they look up to him”.
If it’s good enough for ‘Tugga’ and ‘DK’, it’s good enough for me.
Steve Smith (New South Wales- Vice-Captain)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 13, Inn: 22, Runs: 819, Avg: 39.00, 100: 3, 50: 4.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 9, Inn: 15, Runs: 567, Avg: 40.50, 100: 1, 50: 4.
Steve Smith and making runs against England, goes together like strawberries and cream.
In his last two Ashes series, Smith has made a 1461 runs in his last nine tests at a ridiculous average of 121.75, in fact, across his decade of dominance Smith has averaged a century against England every 4.36 innings.
Although he has been quiet (by his lofty standards) since the 2019 Ashes, the new Vic-Captain of Australia will be primed and ready to go for the First Test on December 8th.
Cam Green (Western Australia)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 27, Inn: 47, Runs: 2346, Avg: 60.50, 100: 8, 50: 7, Wkts: 15, Ave: 57.47.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 4, Inn: 7, Runs: 236, Avg: 33.71, 100: 1, 50: 1.
Australia’s batting future looks bright with the 6’4 Cameron Green patrolling the middle order. Starting out as a tearaway quick who could bat a bit, Green has rapidly risen to become one of Australia’s most dominant First-Class batsmen.
Since 2019, Green has hit 2277 runs at 61.54 and eight centuries, only Labuschagne has hit more First-Class centuries in that time frame. Still, without a test wicket from four tests, big Cam’s bumper could prove problematic for England if he is thrown the ball.
Marcus Harris (Victoria)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 30, Inn: 50, Runs: 2139, Avg: 47.53, 100: 7, 50: 6.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 1, Inn: 2, Runs: 43, Avg: 21.50, 100: 0, 50: 0.
There are still question marks over Marcus Harris’ batting in International Cricket. Decimated in the 2019 Ashes over in England, Harris went back there this winter for Leicestershire, accumulating 655 runs at 54.58 from eight First-Class matches.
Now locked in as the opener alongside David Warner, the selectors know Harris can go big, they’ve seen in for Victoria, now it’s his time to do it on the big stage.
Josh Hazlewood (New South Wales)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 12, Wkts: 44, Avg: 20.48, S/R: 51.57, 5Wi: 3.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 7, Wkts: 28, Avg: 19.61, S/R: 48, 5Wi: 2.
Australia’s 'Mr. Reliable', Josh Hazlewood has shown young bowlers across the world how to get wickets with immaculate line and length. 20 wickets at 21.85 in the last Ashes series, Hazlewood has taken another 28 wickets at 19.61 from his last seven tests.
England will be wary of Hazlewood’s ability to change a Test with one spell after he took 5/3 in 25 balls last summer against India, skittling the world’s best batting order for 36 all-out.
Travis Head (South Australia)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 33, Inn: 57, Runs: 2265, Avg: 42.73, 100: 7, 50: 8.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 7, Inn: 9, Runs: 299, Avg: 33.22, 100: 1, 50: 1.
Travis Head faces an exciting two-week period as he aspires to put runs on the board and cement that number five spot. After losing his place mid-way through Summer last year, Head started the Australian summer with 163 against Western Australia in the first Shield game and polished off another century this week against Queensland.
Head seems to have the backing of national selector George Bailey, who reckons the left-hander is in form.
Usman Khawaja (Queensland)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 22, Inn: 30, Runs: 1212, Avg: 41.79, 100: 4, 50: 5.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: N/A Inn: N/A Runs: N/A, Avg: N/A, 50: N/A, 100: N/A.
Not many saw this coming, after being dropped during the 2019 Ashes series, Usman Khawaja has regained form at the right time. Starting the first four Shield games with more than 400 runs, Khawaja has proven to the selectors he can bat on bowler-friendly pitches.
This was evident against Western Australia when Khawaja was the only player for Queensland to make over 14, when his 70 off 138 balls equated for 54% of Queensland’s score of 129.
Marnus Labuschagne (Queensland)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 33, Inn: 52, Runs: 3112, Avg: 66.12, 100: 11, 50: 13.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 9, Inn: 16, Runs: 1322, Avg: 82.62, 100: 5, 50: 5.
There are not many cricketers in the world who have 1322 runs and five centuries from their last nine Test Matches. Marnus Labuschagne joined the rarefied air of Sir Donald Bradman since famously replacing Steve Smith as the sub in second Test of the 2019 Ashes Series.
Since then, Labuschagne has produced Bradman like numbers with 1675 runs at a hefty average of 72.82 from his last 13 Test Matches. 110 against South Australia in Adelaide last week, was Labuschagne’s 16th First-Class century in 958 days.
Nathan Lyon (New South Wales)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 26, Wkts: 97, Avg: 30.85, S/R: 70.44, 5Wi: 6, 10Wi: 2.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 9, Wkts: 36, Avg: 30.25, S/R: 64.72, 5Wi: 3, 10Wi: 1.
Australia’s incumbent spinner for the last decade, Nathan Lyon surprisingly struggled to make an impact against India last summer taking nine wickets at 55.11 and a strike rate of more than 120.
Lyon enjoys playing England with 85 wickets at 30.52 from 23 tests, he also has 40 wickets at 29.3 against them in Australia. The selectors will be counting on Lyon to bounce back at the Gabba for the First Test of the summer.
Michael Neser (Queensland)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 22, Wkts: 85, Avg: 20.93, S/R: 49.82, 5Wi: 4, Runs: 411, Avg: 19.57.
Test form since 2019 Ashes Mat: N/A, Wkts: N/A, Avg: N/A, S/R: N/A, 5Wi: N/A, Runs: N/A, Avg: N/A.
Somewhat unlucky to not have received a Baggy Green given the depth of the Australian fast-bowling cartel, Michael Neser has been patiently plying his trade for Queensland, where he has taken 85 wickets at 20.93 since the 2019 Ashes.
Jhye Richardson (Western Australia)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 8, Wkts: 35, Avg: 18.23, S/R: 46.71, 5Wi: 1, Runs: 256, Avg: 23.27.
Test form since 2019 Ashes Mat: N/A, Wkts: N/A, Avg: N/A, S/R: N/A, 5Wi: N/A, Runs: N/A, Avg: N/A.
Back from the brink, Jhye Richardson has rebuilt his body after a shocking shoulder injury leading up to the 2019 World Cup/Ashes. A purple patch to start the 2021 season has seen many pundits call for Jhye Richardson’s selection in the First Test.
Back from an extensive stint on the sidelines, Richardson is in white-hot form currently in the Shield, leading the wickets with 23 at 13.43. If the selectors go with Richardson for the First Test, his raw pace will bring back bad memories of Mitchell Johnson for the Englishmen.
Mitchell Starc (New South Wales)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 19, Wkts: 73, Avg: 27.42, S/R: 52.16, 5Wi: 4, Runs: 461, Avg: 21.95.
Test form since 2019 Ashes Mat: 9, Wkts: 40, Avg: 23.85, S/R: 45.37, 5Wi: 2, Runs: 162, Avg: 18.
The much-maligned left-arm fast bowler’s spot in the XI is always questioned at the start of every summer. A quiet series last summer where he wasn’t getting the prodigious swing that cricket lovers are used to, Mitchell Starc is still an asset to the Australian side at home with 29 wickets at 17.45 against New Zealand and Pakistan in the 2019/20 summer.
Mitchell Swepson (Queensland)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 13, Wkts: 51, Avg: 28.43, S/R: 61.82, 5Wi: 3, 10Wi: 1.
Test form since 2019 Ashes Mat: N/A, Wkts: N/A, Avg: N/A, S/R: N/A, 5Wi: N/A, Runs: N/A, Avg: N/A.
Australia’s backup spinner, Mitchell Swepson has been rewarded for fine form in the Sheffield Shield. 28 of Swepson’s 51 wickets since 2019 have come in the second innings, he has averaged 26.61 with the ball in the second innings with an economy rate of 2.60.
David Warner (New South Wales)
FC form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 10, Inn: 18, Runs: 1087, Avg: 72.47, 100: 4, 50: 1.
Test form since 2019 Ashes: Mat: 7, Inn: 12, Runs: 853, Avg: 85.30, 100: 3, 50: 0.
Again, we will see the tantalising clash between David Warner and Stuart Broad. 42 times they’ve battled against each other on the field, 12 times Broad has taken his wicket. The 2019 Ashes series was one to forget for Warner, across nine innings, Broad bowled 100 balls to Warner for 35 runs and five wickets and 85 of those deliveries were dot balls. Warner is certainly a different player in Australia, averaging 60.25 from 10 Ashes Tests on home soil.
With wild weather set to ruin the crucial Ashes practice match, I have thought about the Test XI the selectors will go with based on current form.
- Marcus Harris
- David Warner
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith (VC)
- Usman Khawaja
- Cameron Green
- Alex Carey (WK)
- Pat Cummins ©
- Jhye Richardson
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
- Mitchell Starc
