Ashes 2023 : Cricket Australia (CA) have announced a 17-man squad for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final and the opening two Ashes Test in England. Pat Cummins will return as captain after missing the 3rd and 4th test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy owing to his mother being ill. Steve Smith who captained the side last time will return as Pat Cummins’ deputy. David Warner has also been added to the squad despite his horrid run in England last time and his dwindling form off late in red ball cricket. Follow Ashes 2023 LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN
Australia’s squad for WTC Final & first two Tests in Ashes 2023:
Pat Cummins (C), Steve Smith (VC), Warner, Labuschagne, Hazelwood, Starc, Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Khawaja, Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Renshaw & Todd Murphy.
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) April 19, 2023
Selectors will evaluate the makeup of the squad after the second Ashes Test with the option to make changes for the remaining matches against England at Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval.
Warner will have an opportunity to turn around a recent record that includes one century in 32 Test innings going back to the start of 2021, while the opener averaged 9.5 on the last Ashes tour in 2019.
Usman Khawaja is included in the squad and expected to take one of the opener positions, while Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw are other options to partner the veteran at the top of the order.
Harris has been recalled to the squad along with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and wicket-keeper Josh Inglis, while Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Swepson and Matt Kuhnemann were not retained from the squad that toured India. Lance Morris has been ruled out with injury.
Chairman of Selector on the Squad for Ashes 2023
“The UK is a very different assignment from our most recent tour of India and some of the changes are based upon the conditions we are anticipating,” Australia chair of selectors George Bailey said.
“Marcus, Josh and Mitch return to the squad and provide valuable depth and flexibility within their respective skill sets. We see value in revisiting the squad following the second Ashes Test given the short turnaround between the WTC final and the first Ashes Test, along with the length of the tour, ” added Bailey.
Australia’s Full Test Squad
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner
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