Ashes selection clues lurking in 'forgotten' Test squad

As Australia's new-look national selection panel begins collating notes to settle on a men's squad for the upcoming Vodafone Ashes Series, it's worth recalling the previous time they undertook a similar exercise which ultimately proved to be purely academic.

The last Test squad named under the guidance of long-serving chair Trevor Hohns before he retired (for the second time) in August was a 19-man party to contest three matches in South Africa in February and March of this year.

And even though that squad was selected under unique circumstances – the national men's team was to undertake a concurrent T20 campaign in New Zealand which meant demarcation between red and white-ball players – that 'forgotten' squad will retain some currency when Ashes deliberations begin in earnest.

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Australia Test squad for the (cancelled) tour of South Africa: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.

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For starters, the subsequent postponement of that South Africa campaign due to COVID-19 concerns plus the scheduling issues that have plagued the start of the 2021-22 summer in Australia means worryingly few Ashes candidates have played much first-class cricket.

Another salient consideration is that, while venues for Tests against the Proteas were never finalised, conditions in South Africa are historically similar to those encountered in Australia so the expanded squad reflected the selectors' likely views on who was next in line for a Test call-up at home.

And then there's the precedent of the previous occasion Australia named a Test squad for a tour that never happened.

That came in the immediate aftermath of the 2015 Ashes series loss in the UK that saw skipper Michael Clarke retire and vice-captain David Warner unavailable (due to a thumb injury) for a scheduled tour of Bangladesh.

After that series was postponed for security reasons, the only member of the nominated touring party who did not earn selection in a subsequent Test squad was Tasmania seamer Andrew Fekete.

While nine months have passed since Australia's most recent Test squad was released, the pandemic situation in South Africa at the time ensured back-up options for all berths were factored-in which provided a clear picture of the then-selectors' preferred pecking order.

As such, with the first full round of Marsh Sheffield Shield matches set to begin Wednesday, the players who were officially next-in-queue last summer have a chance to re-establish their legitimate claims for an Ashes squad that is expected to be larger than usual to cover COVID-19 contingencies.

It is not yet known when the Ashes squad will be named, but it will be selected by two members of the panel that chose the South Africa 'tourists' (new chair George Bailey and men's team coach Justin Langer) as well as Tony Dodemaide who was appointed last week.

The most obvious beneficiary of the conflict in previous touring schedules was South Australia captain Travis Head who – having lost his Test place midway through last summer's series loss to India – seemed set to return to the middle-order in South Africa with rival left-hander Matthew Wade in the T20 squad.

But there were other auxiliary batters who will be eyeing their chances when opportunity arises, given Hohns confirmed the South Africa touring party represented Australia's "first choice Test squad" when it was announced.

As the incumbent Test opener after his Victoria teammate Will Pucovski was sidelined with a shoulder injury and named for the Proteas series subject to fitness, Marcus Harris would have been part of Australia's starting XI had the South Africa tour gone ahead.

Harris has yet to play a first-class game this season with Victoria and New South Wales grounded by COVID-19 travel restrictions, but he believes his stint with UK county Leicestershire during the southern winter has him in good stead for the coming home summer.

"I've been able to keep playing and I think that helps with your consistency," Harris told ABC Radio's Grandstand program last weekend.

"A lot of times in the past, you can have a really good season at home but then you go and sit down for six months ... so to be able to keep playing through the winter has been really beneficial and hopefully it's beneficial through the (Australian) summer for me.

"I feel like I've got more to prove and more to give."

Despite being unavailable for NSW's first Shield match of the season due to his involvement in the recently completed Indian Premier League, allrounder Moises Henriques will likely figure in discussions for a possible first Test appearance since 2016.

Henriques, 34, was part of Australia's limited-overs set-up for this year's tours to the Caribbean and Bangladesh, and despite playing only six of a possible eight Shield matches last summer he finished 2020-21 as the Blues' leading runs-scorer (633 at 70.33) and posted three centuries.

Another 34-year-old, Queensland captain Usman Khawaja, was reportedly named as a standby player for the South Africa tour and has been cited as a candidate for a Test recall – potentially as David Warner's opening partner – after a productive start to this summer.

Khawaja rated his 174 against South Australia last week as the best Shield hundred of his 14-season Shield career to date, and indicated he would happily bat at the top of the order (with doubt over Pucovski's fitness after another concussion setback) if the selectors saw him as an opening option.

"If I ever get selected for Test cricket again, I would love to bat anywhere, it doesn't really bother me but I think the selectors know that," Khawaja said last week, while adding the prospect of a Test recall after being discarded during the 2019 Ashes did not figure prominently in his thinking.

"I have scored a hundred everywhere from one to six in first-class cricket so it doesn't really bother me where I bat if I get the opportunity."

Among others believed to be in the mix as standby options for South Africa were Tasmania's Ben McDermott, who has represented Australia in 50 and 20-over cricket but is considered – like Wade – a versatile squad member who can bat in the top six as well as keep wickets if required.

McDermott is averaging almost 50 with the bat across the one-day and Shield competitions so far this summer.

Test skipper Tim Paine's understudy as keeper in the South Africa squad was Alex Carey and, with Wade's Test future unknown, the Australia ODI gloveman seems likely to be included in an expanded Ashes squad with Paine continuing his recovery from recent neck surgery.

There will be an opening for another seamer after James Pattinson's decision to retire from international cricket despite being one of seven specialist quicks included in the South Africa squad.

With NSW trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc expected to form the first-choice bowling attack along with spinner Nathan Lyon, the options for back-up seamers will include Queensland pair Michael Neser and Mark Steketee and Blues allrounder Sean Abbott who were all members of the most recent Test squad.

Steketee seems certain to come under close consideration for Ashes inclusion following his career-best 7-44 against SA at Adelaide Oval last week, a match in which the Queenslander also collected his first 10-wicket match haul.

"It was nice to know I was up there or thereabouts, especially with how strong the Australian bowling stocks are at the moment, but it's a new summer and a new season now," Steketee said of his elevation to Australia's Test squad prior to that most recent Shield game.

"You have to come back out, perform well and first and foremost, it's about performing well for Queensland."

Abbott's all-round appeal should see him push for a place in an expanded Ashes squad if he can recapture last season's form when he claimed 21 wickets at 29.14 from his eight Shield games for NSW, along with 570 runs at 63.33 including a highest score of 102 not out against Tasmania.

Western Australia quick Jhye Richardson was available for selection for South Africa having returned from injury during last summer, but selectors chose to name him in the T20 squad for New Zealand along with spin-bowling allrounder Ashton Agar.

It is understood that pair were also considered standby options for Tests against the Proteas had they gone ahead and additional players were needed, although Queensland leg spinner Mitchell Swepson was in the original touring party as Lyon's back-up tweaker.

The only regular top-order batters outside that 'phantom' squad to have averaged 50-plus in Shield cricket (minimum 300 runs) since it was named last January are Queensland opener Bryce Street (433 at 54.13) and WA all-rounder Hilton Cartwright (422 at 52.75).

That list also includes keeper-batters Carey (434 runs at 62) and Queensland's Jimmy Peirson (411 at 58.71).

And the auxiliary bowlers to have impressed in that time are largely in the veteran class, such as Tasmania pair Jackson Bird (35 wickets at 22.17) and Peter Siddle (25 at 26.28), as well as Victoria's Scott Boland (30 at 24) and Jon Holland (27 at 28.85).

Bird is currently sidelined with Achilles tendon soreness while Siddle has retired from international cricket, and the only bowler under age 30 to have taken 25 or more Shield wickets is 27-year-old ex-Queensland quick Brendan Doggett (now with SA) who has 26 at 26.23 from seven matches.

Vodafone Men's Ashes v England

First Test: December 8-12, The Gabba

Second Test: December 16-20, Adelaide Oval

Third Test: December 26-30, MCG

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Perth Stadium