Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner recalled for the Ashes

Cameron Bancroft returns to the Test squad alongside Steve Smith and David Warner.

Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft during the intra-squad this week. Picture: Getty Images

The reconciliation process in Australian cricket is complete with the announcement that Cameron Bancroft will join Steve Smith and David Warner in the squad for the Ashes.

The Cape Town trio will be back in the baggy green for the first time since the incident that rocked the game in March last year.

Bancroft was banned for nine months while the senior pair were banished for a year for their role in the sandpaper incident.

All three suffered terribly in the wake of the public humiliation, but Smith and Warner made it back into the Australian camp earlier than the younger batsman when they were named in the recently completed World Cup.

There was conjecture some, if not all, may never play again, but they fought through the despair and have found their way back.

“Having all three adds not only to our team but knowledge of English conditions,” skipper Tim Paine said. “Bangers has played a lot of cricket over here now and the other two are two of the best players in the world. We are thrilled from a cricket aspect, we are thrilled from a team aspect to have those guys back in around our group.”

Veteran Victorian Peter Siddle won the fierce battle for one of the bowling places in the extended 17-man squad alongside Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Michael Neser. It is further reward for the workhorse whose skill set and years of experience in English conditions have been rewarded when in the past selectors have favoured pace over poise.

The 64-Test veteran who made his debut in 2008 was frustrated to be in the squad but not the side during the summer will be keen to get another chance. He missed selection in the first four Tests of the 2015 series but showed selectors how wrong they had got it when included for the last match of that series. The Australians noted that Ireland’s medium pace bowlers wreaked havoc at Lord’s in the Test match against England.

“It goes to show it doesn’t matter the speed you bowl, if you bowl balls in the right areas in these conditions then more often than not it’s going to help you out so whether you are 120 or 150 you have got to get the ball in the right area,” Paine said when asked about that performance.

Joe Burns and Kurtis Patterson will go down in history as batsmen who were dropped after scoring centuries in their last Test.

Burns made 180 against Sri Lanka and Patterson 114no in what was his last Test innings but both failed to make an impact in the tour game and have paid the price.

Nathan Lyon has the burden of being the only specialist spin bowler in the squad. Marnus Labuschagne, however, can bowl wrist spin. The young allrounder dismissed by Shane Warne as a “bits and pieces” player is a favourite of the coaching staff for his dedication, toughness and cricket smarts. He has scored five centuries in county cricket this year and is the leading run scorer in England, albeit in division two.

Matthew Wade has been rewarded for scoring a thousand runs in the Shield season and three centuries in the warm-up matches.

While the side has not been picked for the first Test at Edgbaston on Thursday there is a chance that Bancroft could bat at No 3 below Warner and Marcus Harris as Usman Khawaja did not play the practice match and is yet to fully test a torn hamstring that kept him out of the last game of the World Cup.

Bancroft’s 93no in the final innings of the tour match was all the confirmation Langer and the selectors needed to get him over the line. Of the other batsmen only Warner (58) and Labuschagne (41) made any score of note. Bancroft survived four hours across two days at the crease and proved his toughness by getting in behind the fastest bowlers in dangerous conditions.

“We have chosen 17 players as this gives us the cover and flexibility we believe we will need to ensure we are in good shape throughout a demanding schedule of five Test matches in just over six weeks,” said chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns.

“We believe the squad is an excellent blend of high-quality batsmen and top-class fast bowlers, plus Nathan Lyon, who we regard as the world’s best off-spinner in all conditions. It is a good mix of all the talents.”

It was an excruciating morning yesterday for the players, many of whom sat grim faced at breakfast waiting to be summoned into the team room next door to learn their fate. Each was called up in alphabetical order, alerted to their turn via text message. Some beat a sad retreat to the Southampton hotel elevators back to their rooms where they packed their bags and prepared to fly home.

The 17 successful players travel to Birmingham today and will begin training ahead of the first match in the series.

Australia’s 17-man Ashes squad

Tim Paine (c) (Tasmania)

Cameron Bancroft (Western Australia)

Patrick Cummins (New South Wales)

Marcus Harris (Victoria)

Josh Hazlewood (New South Wales)

Travis Head (South Australia)

Usman Khawaja (Queensland)

Marnus Labuschagne (Queensland)

Nathan Lyon (New South Wales)

Mitchell Marsh (Western Australia)

Michael Neser (Queensland)

James Pattinson (Victoria)

Peter Siddle (Victoria)

Steven Smith (New South Wales)

Mitchell Starc (New South Wales)

Matthew Wade (Tasmania)

David Warner (New South Wales)