UK View: Australia’s mooted mid-series Ashes squad shake-up points at panicked thinking

‘Bazball’ seems to have spooked Australian selectors, with David Warner looming as an Ashes casualty and a mid-series shake-up already expected, writes The Times’ cricket correspondent SIMON WILDE.

David Warner is under pressure heading into this year’s Ashes. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Australia are betraying an uncharacteristic unease in their planning for the Ashes and a first encounter with England’s “Bazball” cricket.

They intend to name an initial squad for the World Test Championship final against India and the first two Tests against Ben Stokes’s team, but then review that group of players for the rest of the series depending on “what the brand of cricket looks like”. This decision comes despite there being only three days between the second Test at Lord’s and the third at Headingley.

Andrew McDonald, the Australia head coach, and George Bailey, the chairman of selectors, have also declined to back David Warner as a pick for the Ashes, although they seem willing to choose him for the India match at the Oval nine days before the England series starts. Warner managed a miserable haul of only 95 runs from 10 innings in England in 2019 when Stuart Broad got him out seven times. Bailey is expected to name the initial squad in the next week.

Speaking about Australia’s decision to review the make-up of the squad after Lord’s, Bailey said: “It’s a bit funky … [but] we’ll have more information on how the team is going, the results of the first couple of Ashes Tests, and what the brand of cricket looks like.”

Selector George Bailey is set to name the squad for the World Test Championship and first two Ashes Tests in the next week. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Asked why McDonald had previously indicated that Warner was in Australia’s plans for the Test Championship final but did not commit to saying he had a role in the Ashes, Bailey said he backed that view.

“It’s a different team and a different way of playing,” he said. “We’re going to have to have our best team playing incredibly well to challenge England over there, the way they are playing. That Ashes tour is going to be very challenging. England are playing some incredible cricket, so the team and the squad we pick for that are going to have to be at their absolute best.”

Warner has managed only one hundred in his past 32 Test innings and, were he to be dropped, the likeliest candidates to replace him as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner are Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, both of whom are spending the next few weeks playing county cricket – Harris with Gloucestershire and Bancroft at Somerset.

Neither of the 30 year olds has an impressive Test record. Harris averages 25 from 14 Tests and Bancroft 26 from 10, but both are much improved players. Harris has performed well at Leicestershire and Gloucestershire, and Bancroft was the standout batsman in the recent Sheffield Shield, scoring 945 runs at an average of 59.

Cameron Bancroft is in contention to replace David Warner after a monster Sheffield Shield season. Picture: Will Russell/Getty Images

They are among perhaps six or seven members of the squad who will play county cricket before the Ashes, a contentious point with many English observers. Bailey conceded in respect of Bancroft: “We’re really glad he’s over in England playing. I think that’s fantastic, as is [the case with] Marcus Harris.” He acknowledged, though, that attempting to keep fringe members of the squad match-ready by placing them at counties during the Ashes itself was challenging – “Just around what it looks like for counties to engage the services of those players”.

Probably the most eye-catching uncapped pick will be Lance Morris, 25, who has won a reputation as the fastest bowler in Australia. Morris helped Western Australia to win the Shield title with 31 wickets at 19.96 apiece and overall has captured 63 wickets in 19 first-class matches at an impressive strike rate of 41.9. Morris has signed to play for Northamptonshire for three LV= County Championship matches next month, which will present him with a crucial opportunity to get used to the Dukes ball.

Morris was named in a Test squad during Australia’s home series against South Africa in December but did not play. Speaking at that time, he said: “I’m an attacking and intimidating bowler. I can get to the early 150s [km/h] and I’ve still got room to get faster.” He is likely to see off a challenge for the last bowling spot from Wes Agar and the left-armer Spencer Johnson.

As with England, Australia will need plenty of fast-bowling strength with five Ashes Tests spanning 46 days (Australia face six Tests in 55 days including the Test Championship final). Josh Hazlewood’s fitness remains unclear as he has yet to test a longstanding achilles’ tendon injury in a match situation. He is due to head to the Indian Premier League in the next few days, provided Cricket Australia gives him clearance.

Michael Neser, another of the back-up pacemen, is returning for another stint at Glamorgan where he will feature alongside Marnus Labuschagne. Steve Smith heads to Sussex next month, too. Little wonder that The Australian was crowing this weekend that “There’s Aussies everywhere.”