Marcus Harris has gained a Cricket Australia contract ahead of Matthew Renshaw, leaving the prolific Victorian in the box seat as a possible David Warner replacement on the Ashes tour later this year.
Coach and selector Andrew McDonald failed to endorse Warner for the Ashes recently, saying only that he was in the frame for the World Test Championship final against India at the Oval ahead of the five-Test series against England.
David Warner has struggled for consistency over the past year or so.Credit:Getty Images
Renshaw toured India last February and March ahead of Harris but hardly made a run and has been left off the contract list along with fellow India tourists Peter Handscomb and Mitchell Swepson.
Uncapped tearaway paceman Lance Morris and impressive young spinner Todd Murphy both received contracts for the first time, while Sean Abbott, Jhye Richardson, Michael Neser and Harris have regained contracts in a squad expanded from 20 to 24.
Harris has been a regard reserve opening batsman for Australia, playing 14 Tests in more than four years at an average of 25 without a century. He was dropped for Usman Khawaja during the Ashes in Australia two summers ago.
Cricket Australia contracted men’s players
Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Warner’s lack of consistency over the last year or so and failure on Australia’s last tour of England in 2019, 95 runs at 9.5, leaves him vulnerable to lose his place.
Chair of Selectors George Bailey pointed to a big year in Test and one-day cricket ahead.
“Two huge challenges in the Test arena in The World Test Championship and the Ashes are on our doorstep followed soon after by the ICC One-Day World Cup. We have chosen a group of players we expect will form the majority of those two campaigns and we know that we will need a squad mentality to achieve success.
“As we find each year now, there is a lot of cricket in the next six to 12 months and our depth will be tested. The six Test matches during the winter are in relatively short succession and we have a busy period of white ball cricket leading up to, and post, the ODI World Cup.”
More to come
