Steve Smith’s move to the top of the batting order to replace David Warner has been all but confirmed with the veteran named in Australian squad to face the West Indies in Adelaide with other potential openers Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris left out.
Cameron Green’s return to the team, likely in the middle order spot vacated by Smith, has been confirmed with Matt Renshaw, a backup opener, and Scott Boland the extra men in the 13-player list.
The move represents a desire to get Green back into the team and to give him the best chance to shine, elevating him to play as a specialist batter with Mitchell Marsh retained as the bowling allrounder.
“Cameron Green will come into the playing XI for the Test in Adelaide in a squad also containing Scott Boland and Matthew Renshaw,” said chief selector George Bailey.
“We have selected a team we believe contains the best six batters in the country. Scott Boland and Matt Renshaw will join the squad prior to the first Test after playing for the Melbourne Stars (Jan 15) and Brisbane Heat (Jan 13) in the BBL.”
The question of Warner’s successor has been a controversial one, with both Bancroft and Harris, the most likely candidates to step in for Warner if selectors wanted an established opener, ignored in favour of an internal reshuffle.
The pair are 31 and, in a team that is sorely lacking youth, it would appear that a decision has been made to move past Bancroft and Harris in favour of the 24-year-old Green.
Though Smith has never opened in Test cricket, he averages 67 in the format coming in at first drop, and is well used to facing the new ball.
Green bats at four for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield and averages 54 in domestic first class cricket.
Smith will captain the ODI team for the series that follows with four of the World Cup-winning squad rested after the Tests, with Travis Head as vice captain.
Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are all to sit out, with Aaron Hardie, Matt Short, Jhye Richardson and Nathan Ellis coming in, as well as Lance Morris, who would be in line for an ODI debut.
“It is a little over 12 months until the Champions Trophy and further opportunities for the likes of Aaron Hardie, Matt Short, Jhye Richardson, and Nathan Ellis will be valuable both to our ongoing improvement as a team and also further their personal experiences in ODI cricket,” said Bailey.
“The squad strikes a balance between players continuing to make their mark on international cricket, playing alongside some of our most experienced players with an eye to the future in this format.”
Australia Test squad to face West Indies
Pat Cummins (c)
Scott Boland
Alex Carey (wk)
Cameron Green
Josh Hazlewood
Travis Head
Usman Khawaja
Marnus Labuschagne
Nathan Lyon
Mitchell Marsh
Matt Renshaw
Steve Smith
Mitchell Starc
Australia ODI squad to face West Indies
Steve Smith (c)
Sean Abbott
Nathan Ellis
Cameron Green
Aaron Hardie
Travis Head
Josh Inglis
Marnus Labuschagne
Glenn Maxwell
Lance Morris
Jhye Richardson
Matt Short
Adam Zampa