Ian Chappell calls out Travis Head opening plan as Sheffield Shield season begins

Cameron Green’s injury could open the Test door for early Sheffield Shield performers, but one question still needs to be answered.

Positions aren’t necessarily up for grabs in the Test team as several incumbents start their red-ball preparation in a full round of Sheffield Shield matches beginning on Tuesday.

But the swirling debate around who might open the batting with veteran Usman Khawaja, who is turning out for Queensland against Western Australia, has put a spotlight on the likes of Travis Head, who has been linked to a shift to the top despite former Australian captain Ian Chappell labelling the idea a “desperate ploy”.

Head, who has played nine white-ball games, first in Scotland and then England, for Australia in the past 33 days will be putting on white clothes this time and squaring off against a red ball for South Australia against NSW who have rested Steve Smith but picked spin star Nathan Lyon.

Injured Cameron Green is unavailable for WA and while it’s nearly two months until the opening Test against India in Perth, Green’s availability, having left the ODI tour of England with the injury, could open the door for one of the early Shield performers.

Travis Head has played nine white-ball games for Australia in the past 33 days. Picture: Marty Melville / AFP

Australian white-ball captain Mitch Marsh will play for WA as a batter only, as Aaron Hardie, who emerged as another all-round option for Australia during the recent white-ball games in England, is having his bowling loads built up carefully given Green’s injury.

That possible middle-order change could be another consideration for Australian selectors pondering moving Head from No.5, but making him an opener would be folly anyway according to former Australian captain Ian Chappell.

“Head opening in Test cricket is based on his unbridled success facing the new ball in both 50-over and T20 cricket,” he wrote for Cricinfo.

“There’s no doubt Head, with his ultra-aggressive style, is the ideal player to open in the two short forms of the game. However, Test cricket is an entirely different proposition.

“Head’s promotion to open in Test cricket should be seen as either an extremely desperate ploy or an extraordinarily adventurous move.”

There are potentially three Shield matches Head and his fellow Test players could turn out for before the first of five matches against India, but management will most likely deny that from happening.

Nathan Lyon will play for NSW. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

Smith has been managed out of NSW’s opening clash with Head and SA, but spin star Lyon will play his first match in three months, having last rolled his arm over in English county cricket.

Marnus Labuschagne will captain Queensland having taken over from Khawaja. Labuschagne has also played club cricket as part of his Test summer preparation.

Fast bowler Scott Boland is another who misses for Victoria’s match with Tasmania due to “planned load management”, while skipper Will Sutherland, who can’t yet bowl as he recovers from injury and couldn’t be picked as a batter alone, will also watch the opening game from the sidelines.

Marcus Harris will open the batting with young gun Ash Chandrasinghe as the Vics deal with the likely, but yet to be confirmed, retirement of Will Pucovski, while Glenn Maxwell, who does want to play some Shield games, wasn’t made available.

After his defection from Queensland, Test spinner Matt Kuhnemann will play his first game for Tasmania after being named in the team to take on the Vics at the Junction Oval.

SHEFFIELD SHIELD OPENING ROUND

(all matches start Tuesday, October 8)

NSW v South Australia, Cricket Central, Sydney

Western Australia v Queensland, WACA Ground, Perth

Victoria v Tasmania, Junction Oval, Melbourne

Originally published as Ian Chappell calls out Travis Head opening plan as Sheffield Shield season begins