Selectors' messages to Ashes contenders

Two of Australia’s Ashes hopefuls have received messages of support from national selectors after eye-catching performances in the latest round of JLT Sheffield Shield.

Incumbent opener Marcus Harris rebounded from a lean run of form in Australia’s Test series against Sri Lanka and for Melbourne Renegades in the KFC BBL with a fine double of 95 and 174 in Victoria’s victory over Queensland at the Junction Oval.

In Adelaide, Tasmania’s Jackson Bird dismantled South Australia’s batting line-up to spearhead his team’s remarkable win, claiming 11 wickets for the match and 7-59 in the second innings.

The remaining three rounds of the Shield season – plus the final – will be a factor in the make up of the touring party for the series against England, with the first Test starting August 1.

Harris, who averages 32.70 from six Tests at the top of the order, has taken over from Matthew Wade as the leading Shield run-scorer, boasting 770 runs at 85.55 this season.

The left-hander revealed today he received a text message from Australia coach Justin Langer, who is a member of the three-man National Selection Panel (NSP), along with chairman Trevor Hohns and former captain Greg Chappell.

“JL texted me yesterday,” Harris said on Melbourne radio station SEN on Wednesday.

“He’s in India (with Australia’s T20I squad), so he didn’t ring me, but I spoke to him over text.

“He said, ‘well played in both innings, mate’. That’s pretty good coming from the coach. He doesn’t get too excited.”

Reliable paceman Bird, who played his last Test against Australia’s Ashes rival last summer, revealed he was contacted by Hohns following his heroics at Adelaide Oval.

The 32-year-old has 38 wickets from seven Shield matches this summer at an average of 19.10 and tops the wicket-taking charts.

Bird made it clear it was foolhardy to draw any links between the communication and his Ashes chances, but he said it was “good to see them keeping an interest in the Shield and getting around the boys who do well”.

“They send you a message when you do well. Trevor Hohns sent me a message last night, saying ‘well done’,” Bird told reporters today.

“That’s the extent of the communication I’ve had with the selectors.

“They’ve got a lot of players that they look after and need to keep in contact with, so as a fringe player or someone that’s played in the past, you don’t really expect to hear from them all the time.

“I don’t really need any feedback to be honest.

“I’m pretty old now, so I’ve been around a while and I know how it works.

“Wickets and runs is your currency. I feel like my performances (in) the last couple of years have been really consistent.”

Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ashton Agar and Wade have been among those who have been critical of the NSP over its communication with the country’s elite players in the past, while Test captain Tim Paine, Peter Handscomb and Marnus Labuschagne have backed the selectors.

“The coaches all write reports from the series and give you some feedback,” Harris said.

“You’re very clear about where you stand and how you’re going. I had some good conversations with JL and (batting coach) Graeme Hick and those sort of people, so I know what I need to do.

“It’s pretty simple – if you make runs and take wickets, cricket tends to look after itself. Missing a chance against Sri Lanka, I put myself in a position where I’m going to have to score heavily (to stay in the Test team), but that’s OK.”

Hohns addressed the contentious issue of communication in a press conference in January.

"There's an open line of communication," Hohns said.

"It's their careers, so if they're unclear about anything, we'd like to think they can get some clarity if they want and take some ownership of their careers.

"The state talent managers, as well, are encouraged to encourage the players to give us a call, as is the chairman of selectors from their respective states.

"People are always told why they've been left out, so there can be no misunderstanding whatsoever.

"Sometimes obviously players are disappointed, there's no doubt about that.

"And sometimes they may understand, sometimes they may not.

"But there is that open line where they can always get clarity if they wish and we do speak to them on a regular basis."