Former Aussie quick Ryan Harris unpacks selectors’ pace dilemma in second Ashes Test at Lord’s

Deciding which fast bowler misses out at Lord’s has become no easier for Australia’s selectors. Ryan Harris chats to DANIEL CHERNY about how Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood are shaping up.

Former star Test paceman Ryan Harris has urged selectors not to pre-empt workload concerns and pick Australia’s best possible attack in every Test until the Ashes series is won.

Harris says the Aussie selection panel of George Bailey, Tony Dodemaide and coach Andrew McDonald have a good problem ahead of them in picking the side for the second Test at Lord’s, with Mitchell Starc in contention to return at the expense of Scott Boland.

Josh Hazlewood’s return from injury squeezed Starc out of the side for the first Test at Edgbaston after Starc had gone at more than five runs per over across both of India’s innings during the World Test Championship final at The Oval earlier in June.

Boland was on the end of similar stick from England in Birmingham, a move that McDonald conceded had surprised Australia.

It leaves the Victorian as the most obvious omission from the first Test attack should selectors opt for Starc in the second Test, which begins on Wednesday.

Why a Starc in, Boland out change seems inevitable for the second #Ashes Test.

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But merely picking the best XI for this particular match is not Australia’s only consideration. While there is more than a week’s break between the Edgbaston and Lord’s Tests, the third Test at Headingley starts only four days after day five at Lord’s.

There is a similar short break between the fourth and fifth Tests at Old Trafford and The Oval respectively.

While captain Pat Cummins – whose all-round showing in Birmingham led his side to a famous two-wicket victory – said before the WTC final that he was hopeful of playing all six of Australia’s Tests inside eight weeks on this tour, Hazlewood, Boland and Starc all spoke pre-Ashes about their understanding and preparedness of a rotation policy and horses for courses approach.

Hazlewood said playing three of the five Tests would be a pass mark, while Boland said the Aussie squad had accepted that “we’re going to have to rotate through our quicks”.

Mitchell Starc was dropped for the first Ashes Test. Picture: Ryan Pierse – ECB/ECB via Getty Images

Starc said before the series that he wouldn’t change his natural game just to suit English conditions, and that he was at peace with the idea that such a position might leave him out of the XI at some stage, a hypothetical that has already eventuated.

Harris, who took 113 wickets at 23.52 in Test cricket and was part of the Australian whitewash side of 2013-14 that went through an entire series unchanged, said selectors had to pick their strongest team until a series win was secured.

“(They should) pick their best attack until they are 3-0 up,” Harris told CODE Sports.

“(It’s a) tough selection call for Lord’s.”

Harris added that conditions at the home of cricket were likely to suit Boland and Hazlewood, meaning Starc should not be an automatic inclusion.

“I would love Starc but reckon Boland and Hazelwood will be very good at Lord’s with the slope and conditions. Don’t think it will be as flat as the first Test,” he said.

“Always a good problem to have when it’s tough to pick 11 from 15. Means our squad is strong.”

Originally published as Former Aussie quick Ryan Harris unpacks selectors’ pace dilemma in second Ashes Test at Lord’s