Surprise and anger from former Australia players and fans greeted reports that Tim Paine was to pip Peter Nevill to the wicketkeeper’s spot in Australia’s team for the first two Ashes Tests. Matt Renshaw, the 21-year-old opening batsman, is also due to be dropped from the squad who will be named in Brisbane at 10am on Friday local time (midnight Thursday UK time).
Nevill lost his place to Matthew Wade last year but was widely expected to win a recall after Wade struggled with the bat and gloves. Instead Paine, who did not even make Tasmania’s squad for the first two Sheffield Shield matches of the season and played all four of his Tests in 2010, is set to get the nod. Stuart MacGill, the former Test leg spinner, described the selectors as “morons masquerading as mentors”.
Paine is a fine wicketkeeper but has kept in only three Shield games in the past two years, while the 32-year-old’s only first‑class century came 11 years ago – Darren Lehmann, Australia’s coach, who played his last first-class game in November 2007, has a more recent one.
Paine is the only Test player England have encountered so far on tour, as he captained the Cricket Australia XI at the Adelaide Oval last week. He made 52 in the first innings, then was recalled by Tasmania (as a specialist batsman, with Wade keeping) at the MCG this week, following a first-innings duck with 71 not out. It is less than a year since he considered quitting first-class cricket to take a job with Kookaburra in Melbourne. He has, though, played Australia’s seven T20s this year and performed serviceably.
Paine is not expected to be the only surprise. Shaun Marsh is set to come into the side at No6, pipping Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright, who played in Australia’s last Test, in Chittagong in September. Cameron Bancroft, the Western Australia opener in the midst of a purple patch, is set to replaces Middlesbrough-born Renshaw.
Renshaw had made only 70 runs in six Sheffield Shield innings while Bancroft hit an unbeaten double‑century against South Australia this week, backing up 162 runs for once out against Australia’s Test attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Bancroft played for Gloucestershire in the summer. He struggled for form until scoring a double‑century against Kent in September.
It looked set to be a selection that will please the tourists. Not only have Australia failed to offer themselves a fifth frontline bowling option – a role played superbly by Shane Watson in the whitewash of 2013-14, allowing Mitchell Johnson to bowl short spells – but the top seven look shaky and untried.
