Australia has announced its 17-man squad for the upcoming World Test Championship Final against India and the first two matches of Ashes 2023 in England. The team includes the return of allrounder Mitchell Marsh to Test cricket after a four-year hiatus. Additionally, selectors have put pressure on opener David Warner by including Marcus Harris and Matthew Renshaw in the group.
The WTC final is set to begin on June 7 at The Oval, and Australia will need to reduce their squad to 15 players by May 28, as per ICC requirements.
Unfortunately, Matthew Kuhnemann, Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, and Mitchell Swepson, who were part of the India tour earlier this year, have been dropped from the squad.
In a positive move, Josh Inglis has been named as a cover for wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
“The UK is a very different assignment from our most recent tour of India and some of the changes are based upon the conditions we are anticipating. Marcus, Josh and Mitch return to the squad and provide valuable depth and flexibility within their respective skillsets," chairman of selectors George Bailey said.
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“We see value in revisiting the squad following the second Ashes Test given the short turnaround between the WTC final and the first Ashes Test, along with the length of the tour," he added.
The Australian squad selected for the Ashes tour will undergo a thorough reassessment after the first two Tests. This evaluation will ensure that the team is performing at its best and that any necessary adjustments are made to enhance their chances of success.
“The one thing we have found over a number of years, but certainly on the back of the Sri Lanka tour last year, is that it’s challenging to bring guys out of a winter where you aren’t playing any cricket then expect to try and perform if they are needed. Renners is having the winter off from being over in the UK (in county cricket) so important to have him there and get some cricket into him," he added.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Steve Smith (vice-captain), Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw
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