Cricket Australia stunned everyone by sensationally recalling Tim Paine following a seven-year absence from Test cricket, with the wicketkeeper set to take the gloves for the Ashes. Paine, who has not kept for Tasmania in their opening three JLT Sheffield Shield rounds due to the presence of incumbent Test gloveman Matthew Wade, will dust off his Baggy Green after remarkably leapfrogging both Wade and his predecessor Peter Nevill.
The 32-year-old’s shock inclusion comes as opener Cameron Bancroft was also named in the 13-man squad for the first two matches of the series while veteran batsman Shaun Marsh’s strong start to the domestic season earned him a recall to the Test team. Bancroft, 24, is set open the batting alongside vice-captain David Warner and become Australia’s 451st Test player.
National Selector Trevor Hohns said Bancroft had earnt his call-up to the Test side.
“Bancroft has been a player of interest to us for some time now, having been unlucky to miss out on the Test tour to Bangladesh that was cancelled in 2015.
“He has thoroughly earned and deserves his call-up following some outstanding performances in the early rounds of the JLT Sheffield Shield competition this season.”
Queenslander Matthew Renshaw has been axed following a lean start to the Shield season, while leading contenders for the No.6 spot Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright – both of whom played in Australia’s most recent Test against Bangladesh in September – were overlooked in favour of Marsh.
Australia Squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.
