Australia and England are facing key selection quandaries leading into the first Ashes Test on Friday at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
For the Aussies, injuries to Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have forced a rethink in their bowling plans while their batting order is in a state of flux after young opener Sam Konstas was dropped from the squad.
Marnus Labuschagne’s return to form for Queensland this summer means he is a certainty to reclaim the spot he lost for the tour of the Caribbean in July.
Despite making an immediate impact since his Australia debut in January, Beau Webster’s run in the XI is at risk ahead of the Ashes.
If selectors decide Labuschagne shouldn’t open, as he did during the World Test Championship final, making 17 and 22, then specialist opener Jake Weatherald will debut on Friday against England in Perth.
That would mean all-rounder Cameron Green would revert to six in the order and be used as a fifth bowling option.
It would be a tough moment for Webster if he is denied an Ashes spot at the expense of Weatherald, who was the leading Shield run-scorer last season (906 runs at 50.33).
Australia remain coy on what XI they will take into the first Test, with Steve Smith set to captain in the absence of Cummins.
Webster is averaging 34.63 with the bat and 23.25 with the ball in his seven Tests since starring on debut to help regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
An ankle injury set Webster back, but the 31-year-old has found form, particularly with the ball, during his past two Shield outings.
Jake Weatherald. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
South Australian debutant Brendan Doggett is locked in a battle with Queensland veteran Michael Neser to be the third seamer behind Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.
Doggett is almost certain to get the nod. He’ll enter the Perth Test on the back of six and five-wicket Shield hauls.
In the England camp, their batting line-up appears settled with the only question mark over the No.3 position but former vice-captain Ollie Pope appears set to be handed first crack at the role ahead of young gun Jacob Bethell.
Mark Wood was back in full flight in the nets on Tuesday but whether the veteran pace ace will be unleashed for the Ashes opener in Perth remains up in the air.
Wood had a 30-minute spell of bowling in the nets on Tuesday. The 35-year-old wore heavy bandaging on his leg but showed no sign of discomfort when bowling.
Ollie Pope. (Photo by Matt Roberts – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
The 37-Test quick sent a scare through the England camp when he suffered hamstring tightness on the first day of their intra-squad warm-up game at Lilac Hill.
Jofra Archer will take the new ball. Gus Atkinson is expected to play as another England quick, while Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse could be fighting it out for another spot.
Matthew Potts is another paceman in England’s squad, but isn’t expected to be considered for the first Test of the series.
The Bazballers are set to go into the game without a spinner with Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks likely to miss out.
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