Ashes 2023 news: Michael Neser, Sean Abbott to join Australia’s preparations

Two Aussie quicks excelling in England’s County Championship have been called on to bolster Australia’s Ashes preparations.

Michael Neser and Sean Abbott have been called into Australia’s pre-Ashes training camp in England, and remain in contention for a late entrance into the series.

The fast bowling pair will become a major asset for Australia’s intensive training camp on the eve of the World Test Championship Final against India in London, with their inclusion to bring the practising party to 19 and allow the team to closely replicate a match simulation.

Australian coach Andrew McDonald is confident prized quick Josh Hazlewood will be fit and available for selection for the WTC final, but if a drama does arise, Neser or Abbott would be on hand for an official call-up into the squad, and would instantly be in contention to play.

Michael Neser celebrates a wicket against the West Indies.

Neser was perhaps the only controversial omission from Australia’s 17-man Ashes squad, but selectors feel the Queensland wicket-taker is better served continuing to ply his trade for Glamorgan in English county cricket, than carrying the drinks through the first couple of Ashes Tests.

The fact Australia has sought permission from Glamorgan and Surrey for Neser and Abbott to join the pre-series training camp shows the pair are really a quasi-part of the squad and every chance of being summonsed to play a Test at some point during the six-Test odyssey.

Neser’s stocks have only risen since he was left out of the squad, taking seven wickets including a hat-trick in a scintillating performance last week.

At the very least, the quality of Neser and Abbott on English wickets will help bolster the preparation of Australia’s top order batsmen for the challenge they will face against the Indians in the one off WTC and then the likes of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad in the Ashes, before they return back to their counties and wait for opportunities later in the Ashes.

Sean Abbott celebrates a wicket in the County Championship.

In further good news for Australia just a month out from the WTC Final, coach Andrew McDonald is confident Hazlewood will be fit and available for selection despite the fact he hasn’t played any first-class cricket since injuring his Achilles in the Sydney Test back in January.

“So far so good. He’s pulling up well from each encounter he has in the IPL,” McDonald said.

“He’s dealing and coping with the loads.

“Obviously being ruled out of India (series back in March) has given him some more time to get ready for the Ashes.

HAT-TRICK FOR MICHAEL NESER!#LVCountyChamppic.twitter.com/aJDVNFiJ75

— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) May 5, 2023

“We feel as though the IPL in terms of games and getting ready is actually helpful because it does give him that intensity in competition mode playing games that sometimes practice can’t give you.

“He’s building nicely to availability for the Test Championship. We’re hopeful all four of those quicks in that squad (Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland) are up and available through the whole six Test matches.

“If not, then clearly we’ve got some really handy back-up that we’re including in that camp (with Neser and Abbott).”

Some Australians are already in England playing county cricket, others will fly directly from the IPL, while the remainder of the squad will depart Brisbane on May 26.

MCDONALD EXPLAINS AUSTRALIA’S TOUR MATCH APPROACH

Australian coach Andrew McDonald acknowledges why some swear by the benefits of tour games, but has backed his team to be ready for their English odyssey without one.

Predecessor Darren Lehmann has questioned why Australia has decided not to scheduled a county game to allow players to properly acclimatise to English conditions before going into battle with India for the World Test Championship Final on June 8, and then the Ashes.

Ex-great Michael Clarke levelled similar criticisms at the Australian hierarchy before the Indian tour earlier this year.

However, Australia is adamant tour games are almost a relic of the past and are convinced staging simulated centre-wicket practice sessions is the best way for players to acclimatise in the modern age where schedules are so tight.

Andrew McDonald chats to Josh Hazlewood before the January SCG Test.

McDonald says there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to tour games, but has explained why Australia feels their best preparation is to move to a more tailored approach.

Rather than run the risk of being served up a second string English county side on a wicket nothing like they’ll face in a Test, Australia would prefer to take control of their preparation and have Josh Hazlewood bowl to David Warner, for example, in a match simulation out in the middle.

Instead of running the risk key batsmen could get out early in a tour game and sit on their backsides for the next three days, Australia would prefer they’re guaranteed of having quality time in the middle facing their own world class bowling attack.

By the same token, Australia want to be able to control the workloads of a bowler like Hazlewood coming off injury, and Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins who haven’t played since the tour of India.

Six Tests in England in eight weeks is a huge ask without adding tour games as well.

The fact Australia hasn’t won a Test series in England since 2001 suggests preparing with tour games hasn’t exactly been the non-negotiable they’re made out to be, particularly given Australia’s best effort in the UK over the past 20 years came in 2019, when they played a staged intra-squad match.

Steve Smith batting for Sussex in the County Championship.

This year’s camp in Beckenham won’t be quite as formal (2019 actually doubled as a selection trial for the final squad), but McDonald says it will provide the level of intensity they need to be ready to fire against India and then England.

“There’s no right or wrong, and the important point to stress is preparation is one thing. It doesn’t guarantee you performance all the time. We’ve seen many a team go over there and have a full on preparation and not necessarily get the results they wanted,” McDonald said.

“We will have our players ready to go for that first Test match, all 17.

“With a simulation environment we can get the volume into them. We feel as though we’ve got flexibility.”

Steve Smith, one of Australia’s most successful players on English soil over the past two decades has been a vocal public supporter of the hierarchy’s move towards simulation practice over tour matches.

Australia were surprised at the criticism levelled at them over their preparation for the tour of India, given going into Test series without a tour game is nothing new for them or for many other international teams.

Often Australian players don’t have any first-class cricket heading into home summers, and for last year’s landmark 1-0 overseas win over Pakistan, there was no practice match beforehand.