‘I’ll be half a chance’: Former Test opener Marcus Harris puts hand up for Australian selection

Australian selectors will provide an early steer on potential replacements for Cameron Green when they unveil an Australia A squad, with a former Test opener appearing to be a good chance for selection.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 07: Australia batsman Cameron Green raises his bat after reaching his half century during the 3rd Men's T20 between Scotland and Australia at The Grange Club on September 07, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Marcus Harris is in the mix for a Test recall with the opener set to be included in the Australia A squad as he seeks to replace Cameron Green in the Aussie top six.

Green was on Friday believed to still be weighing up whether to undergo back surgery that would likely wipe him out for muchif not all of the summer. In any case he looks next to no chance to start the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series that commencesin Perth on November 22.

With all-rounder Green likely to be ruled out of the five-Test series, selectors will need to choose whether to pick a like-for-like replacement or move Steve Smith back to No. 4 and pick a specialist opener to partner Usman Khawaja.

Harris played the most recent of his 14 Tests three years ago, dropped for the returning Travis Head after Khawaja made twintons at the SCG when Head missed the match because of Covid.

Left-hander Harris - who averages just 25.29 in Test cricket - spent much of the next two years on the fringes of the nationalteam but an underwhelming Sheffield Shield campaign last summer meant he was bypassed for series against the West Indies andNew Zealand.

However he has started the domestic season strongly, backing up a half-century in a one-dayer with player-of-the-match earningscores of 143 and 52 in Victoria’s drawn Shield match against Tasmania on a largely docile Junction Oval wicket.

Marcus Harris was named man of the match in his first Shield game of the summer. Picture: Getty Images

Harris chatted to national selector Tony Dodemaide on Friday, with the 32-year-old all but confirming that he would featurein the Australia A series against India A that begins in Mackay on October 31.

The selection panel of Dodemaide, George Bailey and Andrew McDonald will on Monday unveil squads for the two Australia A four-daymatches and for the overlapping three one-day internationals against Pakistan.

“He was just talking around the Aussie A stuff so I think that’ll come out in the next few days but just seeing if I was available,” Harris said of his conversation with Dodemaide.

“I think I’ll be half a chance.”

But Harris, who has been involved in such bat-offs before, said he would try not to let the situation get the better of him.

“It probably wouldn’t hurt if you made runs in it,” Harris said.

Marcus Harris will be looking to crack back in to the Test line up. Picture: Getty Images

“I’ve been in the situation a few times now where I’ve played those games. It’s not like it’s going to be the first time I’veever played Australia A before a Test series. There’s obviously always a bit of attention around those games. Pressure-wise,not going to be trying to put the same pressure on myself as I have before. But it would just be a great opportunity…no doubtthere’ll be two good sides. It’ll be a good opportunity and just looking forward to playing against an international team.”

Before the A games, Harris will confront a potentially even stiffer test in the form of a NSW attack likely to contain NathanLyon and Mitchell Starc when Victoria’s Shield season resumes at the MCG on Sunday week.

As of late Friday afternoon, CA had still not released a fresh statement on Green, almost a fortnight after news of his injury- picked up during a white-ball tour of the UK - broke.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 07: Australia batsman Cameron Green raises his bat after reaching his half century during the 3rd Men's T20 between Scotland and Australia at The Grange Club on September 07, 2024 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Selectors to drop big Test hint as Green injury fears linger

Australian selectors will provide an early steer on potential replacements for Cameron Green when they unveil an Australia A squad within the next week.

Amid lingering fears about whether Green will feature at all during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, selectors George Bailey and Tony Dodemaide have been watching Sheffield Shield action in Sydney and Melbourne respectively in what is the last red-ball chance for contenders to stake a claim before what shapes as a potential bat-off starting later in the month.

Teen prodigy Sam Konstas’s maiden first-class century on Tuesday shapes as a neat piece of timing given it will be at the forefront of the panel’s minds when they settle on a squad for the two four-dayers between the A sides, the first of which begins in Mackay on October 31.

There is concern Cameron Green will miss the entire Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Picture: Getty Images

Marcus Harris would likely have been in the frame anyway however his day one ton did his chances no harm. The same can be said for his Victorian teammate Peter Handscomb, who also posted a century against Tasmania, and South Australian captain Nathan McSweeney who made a stoddgy 55 against NSW on day two at Cricket Central.

The importance of the A series, that in part overlaps with three one-day internationals against Pakistan, has been underscored by the ongoing mystery surrounding the severity of Green’s back injury suffered during the third one-dayer of last month’s one-day tour of England.

Both the A squad and the one-day squad are set to be revealed early next week.

Against a backdrop of wildly varying reports about the all-rounder’s fitness, Cricket Australia has indicated it will provide an update on the West Australian by the end of the business week.

Green will almost certainly be ruled out of bowling for much of the five-Test series against India however beyond that point the messages are mixed, oscillating from hopes Green will be available to start the series as a specialist batter to concerns he will undergo surgery and be ruled out of the entire summer.

CA has not publicly confirmed the situation either way.

The loss of Cameron Green will leave a sizable hole in Australia’s lineup, both as the side’s clear fifth bowling option and handy batter. Picture: Getty Images

In any case Green will leave a sizeable hole given his status as the side’s clear fifth bowling option when fit, heightening the reliance on the frontline bowlers, all-rounder Mitch Marsh and perhaps part-timers Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.

But should he be deemed unavailable to even bat, selectors would be forced to find an extra top six batter, potentially paving the way for Harris, Matt Renshaw or Cameron Bancroft to return to the Test XI as an opener in a move that would allow Steve Smith to switch back to the No. 4 slot.

In contrast to Harris, Bancroft (0) and Renshaw (six) have both started their respective Shield campaigns slowly in Western Australia’s clash with Queensland at the WACA Ground.

Despite those low scores, both discards would still be frontrunners to play at least some of the A series.

WA’s Cameron Bancroft walks from the field after being dismissed by Michael Neser. Picture: Getty Images

WA off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli is also poised to feature in the series. The decision for Ashton Agar to play in WA’s second XI match against South Australia provided a hint that WA is expecting to be without Rocchiccioli during the A matches, meaning ex-Test tweaker Agar is likely to be needed for a rare Shield appearance.

Rocchiccioli is challenging Todd Murphy for a spot in Australia’s Test squad to tour Sri Lanka at the back end of the summer.

Selectors are expected to prioritise one-day cricket over the A series for Victorian Matt Short who shapes as a strong chance to be picked for next February’s Champions Trophy.

Short is unavailable for the Shield opener having picked up an abductor injury during the one-dayers in England.

Paceman Spencer Johnson - who missed the UK white-ball tour to injury - is back bowling and closing in on a return.

Originally published as ‘I’ll be half a chance’: Former Test opener Marcus Harris puts hand up for Australian selection