Sean Abbott is ready to make the step up to Test cricket, says the man who has tracked the paceman's development as closely as anybody in recent years.
Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will be Australia's first-choice pace attack at the Gabba, where this summer's Ashes begin on December 8.
But squeezing a five-Test series into six weeks means rotation will be on national selectors' radar, while James Pattinson's retirement from international cricket has nudged Abbott and other reserve pacemen closer to a baggy green.
Abbott was part of Australia's extended Test squad in 2020-21 before being named in the touring party for a series in South Africa that was abandoned.
The 29-year-old is among the Australian players set to descend on the Gold Coast for a high-stakes match, with selectors pitting Ashes aspirants against each other before picking a squad.
Peter Nevill was behind the stumps when Abbott made his first-class debut in 2011, while he skippered NSW throughout recent years until handing the captaincy over to Kurtis Patterson for this season.
Nevill believes Abbott has "all the ingredients needed to make the step up to Test cricket".
"He's certainly someone who's making a very strong case to be the next bowler in, should one of the big quicks go down," the former Test wicketkeeper said on the eve of the NSW-Victoria Sheffield Shield match at the MCG.
"Sean's been outstanding for a long period of time.
"I just can't sing his praises enough. He's a Test player in the making, both his batting and his bowling have just gone to new heights.
"He's been consistently our best bowler through the pre-season.
"His batting adds such a such a valuable string to his bow."
Michael Neser, repeatedly on drinks duty for Australia's Test side in recent years, and Jhye Richardson loom as Abbott's greatest rivals in his quest for a call-up.
Mark Steketee snared a career-best haul of 7-44 for Queensland last month and is in selectors' thoughts, while Victoria coach Chris Rogers believes Scott Boland should be in the mix for an invite to the pre-Ashes bootcamp.
Abbott, forced to wait seven weeks to start his season because of state border closures, snagged 6-38 on day one of NSW's Shield campaign.
The 29-year-old toiled in bowler-unfriendly conditions in Victoria's second innings, dismissing centurions Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb.
"He always manages with a new ball to find exactly the right length and adapts really well to different conditions," Nevill said.
"He bowled with really good reverse-swing and some aggressive short stuff."
