Australia name squad for 1st Test against West Indies; Bancroft and Harris miss out
Australia have named a 13-man squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies as part of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The Aussies will be led by Pat Cummins along expected lines, but the race for the opening slot following David Warner's departure is still wide open.
The squad comprises Cameron Green, Steve Smith, and Matt Renshaw, all of whom have been in the race for the top-order slot alongside Usman Khawaja. The likes of Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris, who were also in contention for the same slot, miss out.
Australia chairman of selectors George Bailey confirmed that Cameron Green will be part of the playing XI. The presence of the all-rounder in the playing XI, which seemingly includes Mitchell Marsh as well, leans towards the fact that Smith might be promoted up the order. In that case, Green is expected to come in at No. 4, the position he occupies for Western Australia on the domestic circuit.
"Cameron Green will come into the playing XI for the Test in Adelaide in a squad also containing Scott Boland and Matthew Renshaw. We have selected a team we believe contains the best six batters in the country," Bailey said.
"Scott Boland and Matt Renshaw will join the squad prior to the first Test after playing for the Melbourne Stars [on January 15] and Brisbane Heat [on January 13] in the BBL," he added.
Smith has been backed by several former players like Shane Watson and Michael Clarke to succeed at the top of the order. Even his middle-order batting partner Marnus Labuschagne has given him the blessing to ace the new challenge, that several felt Smith might need at this stage of his career.
West Indies suffered a humiliating whitewash in their previous Test tour of Australia
West Indies, who have named a relatively inexperienced squad for the upcoming series, face an uphill task to usurp the defending Test champions. Furthermore, the likes of Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, and Nicholas Pooran withdrew from the tour to focus on the shortest format.
During West Indies' last trip to Australia, the Windies lost the two-match series by a 0-2 margin. The Aussies won the Tests by a margin of 164 runs and 419 runs, respectively, in their dominant run to the WTC title.
Australia squad for Test series against West Indies
Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc.