Ashes 2019: Australia Squad

Australia has announced squad for Ashes 2019 scheduled to begin on August 1. While Alex Carey’s omission from the squad has raised some eyebrows, the board has gone for a 17-member squad to break the misfortune they have been carrying since 2001.
The Chairman of Selectors Trevor Hohns said.  “We have had excellent preparations for this series, with eight players from this squad forming part of Australia A tour that has been in the UK for more than a month, six who took part in the ICC Cricket World Cup, and three who have been playing county cricket. It means the players are acclimatized and ready for the first Test of Ashes 2019.”

The ashes 2019 will see Steve Smith and David Warner playing their first Test post their ban caused by sandpaper controversy. Warner is in sizzling form since IPL 2019 followed by the recently concluded World Cup. Both for Smith and Warner, this will be a challenging platform to prove them. Smith is still banned from captaining the side from another year while former vice-captain Warner will not be given any such leading role in the future. Pat Cummins and Travis Head will continue as joint vice-captains of the Test side.
Cameron Bancroft has been included in an Australia squad for ashes 2019 since his nine-month ban for his involvement in the same incident.  Bancroft showcased some brilliant performance in first-class cricket this season and for him, this Ashes is the lifetime opportunity to improve his image overall. Mathew Wade and James Pattinson set to make their comeback in Test cricket. After some incredible performances for Tasmania in Sheffield Shield and Australia A in List, A cricket in 10 matches at an average of 60.05 including two hundred Wade has been rewarded. Pattinson, on the other hand, recovering from a number of injuries will be seen playing Test first time since 2016.
This squad has some of the big names in the batting line-up including Warner, Bancroft, Marcus Harris, and Usman Khawaja. Khwaja is a decent bat whereas Harris is expected to take his first-class from to Test as well. Wade’s inclusion in the squad as a back-up keeper in place of Carey has been justified by the board saying, “Matthew Wade fully deserves his recall as he has made an irresistible case for inclusion through sheer weight of runs with 1021 first-class runs at home last summer followed by three hundred on Australia A tour, including an excellent 114 against the England Lions at Canterbury last week.”
For the bowling options, Australia has gone for a potent pace attack with just one spin option. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the only frontline spinner the all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne will be a handy option with his leg-spin. He has scored 1100 Championship runs for Glamorgan this season which makes him a useful bat as well.  Lyon has experience of playing 86 Tests for Australia and he can easily lead the spin attack and guide the part-timers.
The pace attack includes Patrick Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Michael Neser, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, and Peter Siddle. For the 34-year old Siddle, this will be the sixth Ashes series. Pattinson is arguably the most interesting one in the lot. His accuracy and raw pace attack can trouble anyone in the circuit. Starc, on the other hand, will be devastating if he can carry on his World Cup form. Moreover, he is a veteran of Tests as well. Pat Cummins is a relatively young face in world cricket but one of the most promising fast bowlers. Neser is yet to make his Test debut. With 33 wickets in 9 Sheffield Shield matches since 2018 he has a good chance of the same during Ashes.
The Chairman opined, “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 and we have Marnus Labuschagne’s leg-spin as another spin option as he has bowled almost 200 overs for county side Glamorgan in first-class cricket this season.” He further mentioned,” It has been a difficult task to reduce the 25-player squad here in Southampton down to 17 and those who have not made the final Ashes party are all desperately unlucky. However, that problem also highlights that we have a degree of depth to select from and that is a terrific positive.”
Squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Patrick Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner