Australia selectors called 'morons' for recalling Tim Paine for the Gabba while Cameron Bancroft is in to open
Australia have announced their 13-man squad to play England in the first Test at the Gabba on Nov 23 and have recalled Tim Paine to keep wicket. It is an extraordinary comeback and a selection that was greeted by surprise and anger in Australia when it was announced on Friday morning.
Paine will wear the baggy green once more after seven years out of the Test side in an attempt to solve the wicketkeeping dilemma that has puzzled Australia since the retirement of Brad Haddin in one of three shock decisions by the Australia selectors (Trevor Hohns, Greg Chappell and Darren Lehmann).
It has been described in the Australian media as a “stunning recall” while former leg spinner Stuart MacGill described the selectors as “morons masquerading as mentors” after news broke of Paine’s selection.
Paine has only kept wicket in three state games in the past two years, not scored a first-class hundred since 2006 and averages a modest 29 in his first-class career overall. Lehmann, the Australia coach who retired from cricket in 2007, has more recently scored a first-class hundred than Paine. But he has leapfrogged incumbent keeper Matthew Wade and Peter Nevill.
England will at least have the advantage of playing against him recently. He captained the Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide last week where he scored a half century.
The call-ups of Paine, 32, and the 34 year-old Shaun Marsh, who will bat in Australia’s problem position at six, come just a year after the selectors vowed to turn to youth after the home series defeat to South Africa.
In the wake of that loss Matt Renshaw was given a chance to open and he responded with 184 in his fourth Test but will be dropped after a slow start to the Sheffield Shield season in favour of Western Australia’s Cameron Bancroft. He is now in line for a Test debut at the Gabba opening with David Warner.
Australia were worried about Renshaw’s technique against James Anderson and Bancroft, who is also a wicketkeeper but will in Brisbane as a batsman, was given a glowing recommendation by his state coach, Justin Langer, after a double hundred against South Australia last week. Langer is an influential figure within the Australian set up.
With Marsh at six instead of a bowling all-rounder it suggests Australia are worried about their batting line-up against England’s bowling attack, particularly with rain expected in Brisbane which would spice up the pitch for the quick bowlers. With that in mind, they probably also feel a four-man attack of MItchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon is enough to deal with England. But picking only three seamers is a gamble given the injury records of the three quicks.
Paine last played Test cricket in 2010 at which point he was expected to become a regular in the side, with some even tipping him for the captaincy one day. He was widely regarded as the most talented keeper in Australian cricket but he badly broke his right index finger in a charity Twenty20 match, an injury which took multiple operations to cure sufficiently for him to resume his career.
Chadd Sayers, an uncapped 30-year-old bowler quick bowler from South Australia who was 243 first-class wickets at 23.55 and Jackson Bird, another fast medium bowler, who played the last of his eight Tests against Pakistan at the MCG last December have been included as back-ups for the likely Test pace attack.
Australia squad to play England at the Gabba in the first Ashes Test
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner (v/c), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (w/k), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.
