Selectors resist 'future proofing' with WTC points on the line

Lance Morris' hopes of a hometown Test debut have taken a hit with chief selector George Bailey ruling out playing four quicks on the Perth Stadium surface for the first NRMA Insurance Test against Pakistan.

While revealing it was unlikely that Morris would jump incumbents Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood who were all "fit and firing" following Australia's World Cup triumph, Bailey says the selection panel still saw "enormous benefit" of having the West Australian tearaway around the squad for the Test summer.

Australia today named a 14-player squad to face Pakistan for the start of the home Test summer on December 14 with 25-year-old Morris the only uncapped player.

With seven Tests between December and the end of March, which includes three against Pakistan and two against the West Indies followed by a two-Test tour of New Zealand, there's a chance Morris could be called upon especially given the heavy workloads the 'big three' have had this year with an away Ashes into a 50-over World Cup.

And by having Morris among the squad like he was last summer, Bailey hopes it will help make his transition to Test level as smooth as it can be when his debut eventually comes.

"To be around those fast bowlers, to be around Dan Vettori and Andrew McDonald, and being a part of it so whenever that opportunity does arise, he feels as comfortable as he can and hopefully makes that transition as easy and as comfortable and as a Test debut may be," Australia's men's selection chair told reporters following today's squad announcement.

But Bailey says selectors also won't be handing out Baggy Greens as a way of "future proofing" Australia's Test team with each match also a crucial opportunity to secure World Test Championship (WTC) points, with Australia the current holders having defeated India at The Oval in June.

"I don't think you necessarily have to do too much future proofing in Test cricket," he said.

"The way that World Test Championship points are set up where each Test is critical, and each Test has points on the line, I think you've got to respect the players desire to play Test cricket.

"Looking one of those players in the eye and telling them that they're not playing a Test, or you're devaluing a Test because of the perceived (weakness of an) opponent, I don't think you ever know what an opponent is going to be like until you're playing.

"You've just got to respect the fact that everyone who plays Test cricket is desperate to be there."

Bailey, however, was quick to point out that given the toll of fast bowling, opportunities often naturally arose to bring fresh members into the attack, such as when Scott Boland debuted on Boxing Day in the 2021-22 Ashes.

"We've seen across the last couple of years there's often opportunities that do open up in the fast-bowling space," he said.

"If or when they do, we're really comfortable with the guys (like) Scott and Lance in this squad and a number of other guys that have been in and around that Test squad for a number of years."

One of those quicks around the squad in the past is fellow WA speedster Jhye Richardson who made an electric return to first-class cricket last week with five wickets in his first red-ball match in a year after being sidelined for most of 2023 through injury.

Richardson – who played his last Test at Adelaide in the 2021-22 Ashes – underwent off-season hamstring surgery before dislocating his right shoulder while fielding for the WA Second XI in October when on the cusp of a return to the top level.

"Thrilled to see him back and excited to see the way that he impacted as quickly as he did," Bailey said of Richardson's 4-36 and 1-27 against Queensland at the Gabba.

"It's been an unfortunate run of injuries he's had over the past couple of years but the one thing he has done is every time he's come back is make an impact straightaway.

"So there's clearly a high skill level there that we like and we're as excited, as I'm sure he is and Western Australia and all the Jhye Richardson fans out there are, that he's back playing.

"So you throw him into that bunch of guys who are in the frame for opportunities going forward that includes Scott, Lance, Jhye and Michael Neser, they've all had opportunities and we're excited about the opportunities they may get in the future."

Veteran opener David Warner has also been backed as part of Australia's best XI to win the first Test as he eyes a farewell match at the SCG at the conclusion of the three-match series to bow out of the format.

Bailey also revealed there was no discussion about elevating Josh Inglis to the Test squad after the WA gloveman unseated incumbent Alex Carey during the World Cup, with "no link at all between the one-day and Test teams" in terms of selection.

"Each Test is critical, there's (WTC) points on the line for each and every game so our focus is very much on picking the XI that we think can do the job," Bailey said.

"We've been pretty consistent around the fact that with any player, it's how they perform as an individual and then how that performance actually fits into the function of the team and that won't change."

NRMA Insurance Test series v Pakistan

First Test: December 14-18, Perth Stadium (1.20pm AEDT)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (10.30am AEDT)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (10.30am AEDT)

Australia squad (first Test only): Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi