Marnus Labuschagne is favoured to join Usman Khawaja at the top of the order and tip out Sam Konstas when Australia faces South Africa to bid for back-to-back world Test championship titles at Lord’s next month.
Australia’s selectors met this week to finalise their squads for the WTC and the subsequent tour of the West Indies, a first Test trip to the Caribbean for a decade.
It’s expected Sam Konstas will make way at the top of the Australian order for Marnus Labuschagne.Credit: Getty/AP
They must nominate a 15-man squad plus a reserve for the Test final by Tuesday Australian time, and will likely bolster the squad by two for the West Indies assignment in what are expected to be vastly different conditions.
Labuschagne has not opened previously in Test cricket. But his vital contributions to Australia’s most important Test victory of last summer – scores of 72 and 70 against India at the MCG – are expected to keep him in the top six despite a longtime downturn in scoring.
Moreover, Labuschagne was discussed as the first option to replace David Warner at the top of the order when the left-hander retired against Pakistan in January last year. Instead, vice-captain Steve Smith bid successfully for the role, but has since resettled into his customary number four position with fruitful results.
After welcoming the arrival of his second child, Labuschagne is soon to travel to the UK to play county cricket for Glamorgan ahead of the WTC. Australia’s available players are to convene in Brisbane early next week for a pre-tour camp at the National Cricket Centre.
At the same time, the return of Cameron Green to fitness, albeit as a batter only, is likely to afford him a quick return to the Test side after he proved his ability to bat time after back surgery with a century for Gloucestershire in the County Championship.
That makes Konstas and Josh Inglis the most likely batting squad members to miss out on a place against the Proteas, even though both made significant recent contributions to the Test team.
While Konstas made global headlines with his fearless Boxing Day attack on India’s Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG, his subsequent ups and downs at international and domestic levels suggest the highly skilled 19-year-old is still working things out. This is an area in which Australia’s hierarchy are keen to aid Konstas, and he is every chance to come into the Test team for the West Indies series that marks the start of the next WTC cycle.
And Inglis’ poised Test debut century against Sri Lanka in Galle proved his readiness for the assignment, but did not push him ahead of either Green or Labuschagne in the selectors’ order of preference for Lord’s.
Josh Inglis and Travis Head in Sri Lanka.Credit: Getty Images
All-rounder Beau Webster, meanwhile, will take on a vital balancing role in the WTC final, given that Green is not yet ready to bowl after back surgery and Mitchell Marsh could not be considered for the same duties despite his recent run of rapid innings in the Indian Premier League. Marsh is still in the frame for next summer’s Ashes series given his outstanding record against England.
Webster got a reminder of his newfound importance to the national set-up as a top seven batter, seam and spin bowler and key catcher when his county Warwickshire was appraised of careful management plans for the 31-year-old Tasmanian.
Brendan Doggett, the South Australia paceman, is set to be part of the squad after a series of high-quality spells for his state and also Australia A against the touring Indians last year, according to a source speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of the squad announcement. Doggett’s inclusion would place him alongside captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland and Michael Neser among the established frontline seamers. Sean Abbott will be the unlucky seamer to miss out on a trip to the UK.
Hazlewood, ostensibly the frontrunner to share the new ball with Starc and Cummins, is being closely watched by selectors after missing a game in the IPL with a niggle. Boland, who has been building up his bowling loads in Melbourne, is at the ready if needed to reprise his meaningful contribution to Australia’s first WTC victory, over India at the Oval in 2023.
Nathan Lyon will be shadowed by Matt Kuhnemann, who after having his bowling action cleared by the International Cricket Council is the clear number-two spinner. Though the left-armer will be in the UK primarily as injury cover, he and Lyon are likely to bowl in tandem in at least one Test match in the West Indies.
Australia’s expected squad of 17 to tour England and the West Indies (15 will be chosen for the world Test championship final at Lords, June 11-15): Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, Beau Webster.
