2025-26 Ashes

Latest news is that Green has been declared unfit for the immediate short course game so let's hope he's good to go for the Ashes, though there's nothing like time in the middle in any type of match as a preparation for the Test series.

Not just you fiddles, the general consensus on Fergus O'Niell is that his pace may be a concern at test level.

Maybe he's a bit like Chris Woakes? Dynamite in the right conditions but a net bowler in test cricket in Australia.

Not sure about Adelaide given it’s back to a day test.

So really, it’s only Melbourne & Sydney that are n question 

Carl.

WA must have a rule about being multi-purpose to play in their top 7, both openers (Bancroft and Whiteman) have kept wicket before at first class level, although not for a while, there is the actual keeper at 7 as well, 3 those at 3-6 have played test cricket as an all rounder, being Green, Cartwright and Connolly, while a 4th in Aaron Hardie has been speculated as a test option and has played for Australia in white ball cricket, 3 could also play test cricket for other nations, Cartwright (Zimbabwe) Hardie and Whiteman (England).  They're also missing Mitchell Marsh who is on T20 duty for Australia.

Suspect Cameron Green won't be called on to bowl here and given the form of Labuschagne and also that Beau Webster is bowling at present, Green may need big runs to be any chance of playing the first test.

Also interesting that Michael Neser is sitting out this fixture for Qld as he is being managed, doubtful Qld would do that on their own I would have thought, so he must be under some consideration for the Ashes series at some point.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if they are thinking of resting Hazlewood at some point through the series, given he hasn't completed a full summer in a few years and also considering Cummins current position, I think Neser is being strongly considered for coming in for Brisbane for either Hazlewood or Lyon and perhaps even playing Adelaide in Hazlewoods place should he also play Brisbane.

I suspect the perfect scenario for the selectors from here would be the skipper to return for Adelaide (in 6 weeks) fit and firing to play Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, that would allow Hazlewood, Starc, Boland in Perth, leave Lyon out for the Gabba with Neser coming in, Lyon and the skipper return in Adelaide with Hazlewood and Neser coming out from Brisbane, leaving them a tough choice of who to leave out for Melbourne.

If fit I think they'll have to get the oxy out to get either Boland or Starc out of the side at any point in the series, Starc to be fair has proven to be durable over his career and Boland has sat on the sideline.

I see the selectors are also not publicly ruling Mitchell Marsh out of a test return just yet, surely this is just paying lip service to him since he's considered an all round good guy and is the T20I skipper?

I mentioned Handscomb earlier in the thread, he has 2 hundreds and an 85 in his last 3 first class matches, averages 37 at test level and a tick over 40 at FC level, the negative for him is the two positions he would likely bat, 4 or 5, are the most secure in the side with Smith and Head, realistically he is also behind the anointed one (Cam Green) as well, it would be good to see another older bat come back in and have a career renaissance in the test side, similar to Michael Hussey.

The one fiddler confused him with Bancroft, he scored a hundred yesterday as well, probably unlikely he's called up but if he's any chance that would have helped.