David Warner has been given a Test lifeline after the opener was included in Australia’s 17-man squad for the World Test Championship final and the first two Ashes Tests later this year.
The 36-year-old will be given a chance to rediscover his faltering form in the one-off match against India at the Oval in June but his place in the team for the series against England that follows remains uncertain after selectors kept their options open with the inclusion of back-up batters Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw.
Having been ruled out of this year’s tour of India with a fractured elbow, and with just one century in his past 32 innings – and a forgettable 2019 Ashes series when he averaged 9.5 with the bat – there had been uncertainty over Warner’s immediate Test future.
His inclusion in the squad announced on Wednesday presents an opportunity to tour the UK for a final time, having previously hinted he will retire from red-ball cricket after the 2023 Ashes series, but his form in the opening match of the tour will likely determine whether he gets the nod to play against England.
Chief selector George Bailey confirmed Warner would open the batting against India in the match starting on 7 June, but he would not commit beyond that.
“Not specifically to Dave, but we’ll just get through that Test Championship,” Bailey said. “We’ll be planning behind the scenes but we’ll have a look at what that looks like as we get there. Different opposition and different surface in terms of going from the Oval to start the Ashes. So we’ll work through that.”
Harris was recalled along with Josh Inglis and Mitchell Marsh, but Cameron Bancroft – the top run scorer in last season’s Sheffield Shield – was overlooked. Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Swepson and Matt Kuhnemann were not retained from the squad which toured India, while Lance Morris has been ruled out of the squad with injury.
Bailey said the preference was to take a settled team into the WTC final. “The way we are looking at that is it’s a culmination of what’s been a pretty consistent two years,” he said. “It’s been a pretty similar team for a long period of time. We are confident that’s a team and that’s a makeup that can have success.
“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. Marcus, Josh and Mitch return to the squad and provide valuable depth and flexibility within their respective skillsets.”
Australia will reassess the squad after the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, with matches to come at Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval in July. The series against England begins at Edgbaston on 16 June.
“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,” Bailey said.
Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
