All the Sheffield Shield squads for round two

A stack of Australia's best men's cricketers will be in action around the country as preparation for the five-Test series against India ramps up.

New South Wales have confirmed Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith will join Nathan Lyon in their side to face Victoria in a blockbuster clash at the MCG.

Mitch Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey are others expected to be named for the round of matches beginning Sunday.

Return to this page to find all the squads as they are named by the states over the coming days.

Sheffield Shield, round two: 20-23 October 

Victoria v NSW, MCG, Melbourne

Victoria squad: Will Sutherland (c), Scott Boland, Ash Chandrasinghe, Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Cameron McClure, Jon Merlo, Todd Murphy, Fergus O'Neill, Tom Rogers

 

Ins: Will Sutherland, Scott Boland, Jon Merlo. Outs: Mitchell Perry (managed), Xavier Crone

Fringe Test quick Scott Boland has been included for his first appearance of the domestic season, while Victorian captain Will Sutherland returns after being rested from their round one draw against Tasmania.

Boland's start to the summer has been hampered by a lingering left knee niggle and a plantar fascia tear in his right foot, with both injuries stemming back to last summer. Sutherland meanwhile was managed from their season opener following a second straight winter overcoming a back stress fracture.

Mitch Perry has been rested after his 3-79 and unbeaten 58 against Tasmania last week, while Australian white-ball pair Matt Short and Glenn Maxwell weren't considered for selection but are in line to play in next Friday's One-Day Cup match against NSW at Junction Oval.

"It's really good for cricket in general when you can get some of those superstars back playing," Victorian spinner Todd Murphy said of Boland's inclusion, as well as Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon's in the NSW squad.

"Those are the games you want to play in and it's going to be a good test for us against a strong NSW team. We're really looking forward to that challenge"

NSW squad: Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards, Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Jack Nisbet, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

 

Ins: Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jackson Bird, Sean Abbott. Outs: Matthew Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher

Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc will play their first Sheffield Shield matches in more than three years as NSW named a trio of Test stars for their blockbuster round two clash against Victoria.

Smith and Starc are confirmed starters for a rare first-class appearance for their state beginning Sunday at the MCG, joining Test teammate Nathan Lyon as they ramp up their preparations for this summer's Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

While Lyon collected 5-47 and 3-94 in the Blues' drawn Shield opener with South Australia last week, Smith and Starc haven't featured in red-ball cricket for their state since the early 2021.

Smith's batting position for NSW was set to be a point of intrigue during the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield season until national men's selection chair George Bailey revealed the right-hander would revert to a middle-order role during the upcoming Test summer.

That's left a vacancy at the top of Australia's batting line-up after allrounder Cameron Green was ruled out for the summer to undergo back surgery.

It's seen Smith's 19-year-old NSW teammate Sam Konstas rocket into the selection conversation after striking twin centuries in their season opener. Victorian opener Marcus Harris and Western Australia's Cameron Bancroft are also in the frame for a Test recall.

Australian white-ball seamer Sean Abbott and former Test quick Jackson Bird have also been included in the Blues' squad for the first time this season with the former overcoming a hamstring niggle sustained during last month's limited-overs tour of the UK.

NSW said Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were not considered for the Shield match but were "likely to play" in One-Day Cup fixture that follows against Victoria at the Junction Oval next Friday.

Queensland v South Australia, Allan Border Field, Brisbane

Queensland squad: Marnus Labuschagne (c), Jack Clayton, Liam Guthrie, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Tom Whitney

 

Ins: Liam Guthrie, Tom Whitney. Outs: Jack Wildermuth (groin strain), Tom Straker (managed)

Queensland has made two changes for their first home game of the Shield season against South Australia at Allan Border Field with allrounder Jack Wildermuth and pace bowler Tom Straker dropping out of the squad.

Wildermuth is nursing a minor groin strain while 19-year-old quick Tom Straker, who dismissed Sam Whiteman in his first-class debut against WA last week, sits out to manage his workloads.

The Bulls will need to call on Straker in round three against NSW with senior quicks Michael Neser and Mark Steketee unavailable due to the Australia A series against India A.

Left-arm seamer Liam Guthrie and former Australian Under-19 quick Tom Whitney have been included in the Bulls 12-player squad with the latter in line to make his first-class debut if selected.

But opening batter Angus Lovell couldn't earn a recall despite an unbeaten 250 in this week's second XI match against Victoria.

Hugh Weibgen (finger), Gurinder Sandhu (calf), Callum Vidler (groin), Jem Ryan (hamstring) and Xavier Bartlett (side strain) were all unavailable for selection due to injury.

South Australia squad: Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Harry Conway, Daniel Drew, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney (c), Liam Scott

 

Ins: Wes Agar, Harry Conway, Jake Lehmann. Outs: Travis Head (paternity leave), Brendan Doggett, Lloyd Pope

A blow for South Australia with Australian superstar Travis Head to miss the match due the impending arrival of his and wife Jess' second child.

Former stand-in captain Jake Lehmann returns to the squad after his 173 in the second XI against WA last week, as does right-arm quick Wes Agar who claimed five wickets in the second innings of that match.

Brendan Doggett and Lloyd Pope also drop out of the squad following their respective match returns of 3-129 and 5-153 in last week's drawn season opener against NSW.

There was again no room for Jake Fraser-McGurk in the SA squad after scores of 28 (off 13 balls faced) and 30 (off 22) in the second XI clash against WA.

Western Australia v Tasmania, WACA Ground, Perth

Western Australia squad: Sam Whiteman (c), Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Matt Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Corey Rocchiccioli, Charlie Stobo

 

Ins: Aaron Hardie

Internationally capped allrounder Aaron Hardie has been named for his first appearance of the domestic summer in a boost WA's chances in a rematch of last season's final against Tasmania.

Hardie will have his bowling loads closely monitored at the WACA Ground after sitting out their season opening draw against Queensland with a quad complaint picked up during the final match of last month's ODI series in England.

Test allrounder Mitch Marsh however confirmed he will be available to bowl in the round two clash as he builds up his workloads ahead of this summer's five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy contest against India.

Marsh only bowled four overs during Australia's 10-game white-ball tour of the UK in September, collecting 1-27 in the fourth ODI at Lord's before sitting out the series decider two days later due to soreness.

"It's been a slow build. I've been really well looked after by Cricket Australia, by 'Ronnie' (head coach Andrew McDonald) and Patty (captain Pat Cummins), with our planning of when I bowl," Marsh told reporters this week.

"I love bowling, so I'm looking forward to bowling for Western Australia this week and building towards that first Test.

"For me, it's about preparing bowl as much as I can and as much as Patty needs me to … and I'll be prepared for that.

"I won't bowl too much for WA but it's all part of the building process getting ready for that first Test."

Joel Paris remains unavailable for round two and is targeting WA's next match for his return from a calf injury, while speedsters Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris miss out as they continue their staged return to top-level cricket after a recent run of injuries.

Tasmania squad: Jordan Silk (c), Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Will Prestwidge, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

 

Ins: Riley Meredith, Will Prestwidge. Outs: Gabe Bell (managed), Lawrence Neil-Smith (managed)

Speedster Riley Meredith is set to make his return to Tasmania's Sheffield Shield team for the first time this season, having missed the first-round draw with Victoria after overcoming an injury that curtailed his international return in September's UK tour. 

Gabe Bell and Lawrence Neil-Smith, who led the Tasmania attack at the Junction Oval, have been rested for the trip west. Bell claimed 3-88 in 32 overs across the match, while Neil-Smith managed 1-108 from 29 overs across the two innings.

Along with Meredith, 22-year-old left-handed allrounder Will Prestwidge has come into the squad for what would be his first-class debut if selected, with Nathan Ellis, Billy Stanlake and Mac Wright all still on the comeback trail from various injuries.

Eyes will be on allrounder Beau Webster, who continued his prolific Shield form with a century against Victoria with the impending Australia A series coming, although national selectors appear to be looking for an opener to replace Cameron Green following his back surgery this week, with Steve Smith moving back down the order.