Face of Nation : Cameron Bancroft has been named in Australia’s 17-man Ashes squad, returning to the national side after serving a nine-month ban for his role in last year’s ball-tampering scandal. Potential Test debutant Michael Neser is the bolter in Australia’s Ashes squad that contains no second spinner.
Alex Carey, Australia’s gloveman and vice-captain at the World Cup, and left-arm tweaker Jon Holland were notable absentees in the touring party named on Friday after an intra-squad selection showdown in Southampton.
Selectors, keen to beef up their pace depth in a five-Test series that is being squeezed into six weeks, opted for a battery of Neser, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.
Former keeper Matthew Wade has been recalled and is in the box seat to play as a batsman at number six in the Edgbaston series opener that starts on Thursday, which would be his first Test in almost two years.
Mitch Marsh or Marnus Labuschagne, both included in the squad as allrounders, could yet tip Wade out of the XI. Bancroft demanded a recall with this week’s stoic match-winning knock of 93 not out at the Rose Bowl on what captain Tim Paine dubbed a borderline “dangerous” pitch.
Incumbents Joe Burns and Kurtis Patterson, having both celebrated centuries during Australia’s previous Test, were axed in the selection squeeze created by David Warner and Steve Smith’s returns.Neser, who played two ODIs for Australia last year in England, thoroughly impressed selectors during this month’s Australia A tour then set the tone for this week’s low-scoring scrap by blasting out Warner and Marcus Harris in a haul of 4-18.Neser’s inclusion means that Labuschagne will be guaranteed selection on any spin-friendly decks while the tourists will be forced to go with a four-prong pace attack should Nathan Lyon suffer a last-minute injury before any Test.
“We have opted to select one frontline spinner in Nathan Lyon. We have faith in his ability, we know our strength lies in our pace attack,” chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said.
