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Marsh sees Test promise in ODI bolters

Australia's fast bowling stocks set to be tested in South Africa

Selection chairman Rod Marsh has confirmed that the elevation of three uncapped pace bowlers to the ODI squad for next month’s tour of South Africa also provides a timely opportunity to run an eye over the stocks of potential Test quicks.

South Australian pair Joe Mennie and Daniel Worrall along with Victorian quick Chris Tremain were today named in the 15-man squad for the Qantas Tour of South Africa later this month, filling the roles of Test new-ball pairing Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood who are being rested.

Read more: Three bowling bolters headline ODI squad

While the trio don’t boast stand-out records in the most recent Matador BBQs One-Day Cup domestic 50-over competition, they all pushed their names forward with performances in last year’s Sheffield Shield competition and were all involved in the Shield Final won by Victoria.

Given the hectic international schedule that looms over the coming six months, and the current list of pace bowlers either injured or recovering from injury (including James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Pat Cummins and Nathan Coulter-Nile) the selectors are keen to see how the next rung of quicks perform in international company.

And Marsh expects all three to be given a decent hit-out in the five-match ODI series against South Africa (and the sole ODI against Ireland) alongside experienced quicks John Hastings and Scott Boland, injuries and form issues notwithstanding.

"When we saw Starc and Hazlewood getting towards the end of this (Sri Lanka) tour it was pretty obvious they needed a break and we talked with them before making any decisions," Marsh said in Kandy ahead of tomorrow night’s first of two T20 Internationals to conclude the current tour.

"And deep down, we were pretty keen to see these other guys and how they would go at international level.

"We’ve seen them at Shield level they’ve been good, we’ve seen them for Australia A they’ve been good and now they’ve got their opportunity which to us is really good because we’re trying to build depth.

"I think they’ll all get game time (in South Africa) because apart from anything else, we want to see them.

"Not only are we looking at one-day cricket, we’re looking at Test cricket, we’re looking at T20 cricket and they’ve all got the opportunity to show what they’ve got.

"I think it’s a great opportunity with six one-day matches over there to see them all bowl and I would hope that they all get equal time, that would be nice."

Marsh on rookie Test quicks


In assessing the different qualities all three bring to a squad that features no express bowler, Marsh noted that Worrall bowls a fuller length and therefore tends to generate more swing although he had seen Tremain deliver some spells at domestic level “when he’s swung the ball prodigiously”.

And having identified Mennie as a potential red ball bowler when fellow South Australia seamer Chadd Sayers was included in the Test squad for New Zealand earlier this year, he will also be granted the chance to further push his claims.

There is not such surety over the batting line-up that sees Steve Smith return to reclaim the captaincy and Shaun Marsh named despite being sent home early from Sri Lanka with a fractured little finger.

Marsh and opener Aaron Finch, who also sustained a fracture to his right index finger in a fielding mishap during last night’s win in the final ODI at Pallekele, have been included in the squad although their availability for the early matches will be assessed by medical staff.

Should either player appear unlikely to play a significant role in the South Africa series, then deposed Test number three Usman Khawaja – who was originally omitted from the T20 squad in Sri Lanka but retained when Shaun Marsh was injured – might win another reprieve having also been overlooked for the upcoming South Africa tour.

Khawaja has struggled in the spin-friendly conditions in both formats in Sri Lanka, losing his Test berth for the final match at Colombo and returning scores of 0 and 6 in his two appearance in the white-ball games to date.

Marsh said today the unforeseen opportunity that arose for Khawaja to be retained for the T20 matches - tomorrow night at Pallekele and Friday’s finale in Colombo - might provide the springboard he needs to find confidence and form.

"He wasn’t going to be here until the T20s but he finished up being here, and he’ll finish up playing," Marsh said in relation to the rash of injuries that has also seen T20 batter Chris Lynn return to Australia with a dislocated shoulder.

"There’s still a really good opportunity for him to show something on this trip.

"He may well go to South Africa, who knows?

"We’ve got two blokes with broken fingers but we’re not too concerned about that at the moment because it’s a way off.

"But anything could happen.

"Uzzie (Khawaja) loves the game and he’ll find a way. 

"He’s a good player."

Warner sets Aussie record in Kandy


Marsh heaped praise on a number of players in the wake of the 4-1 ODI series win against Sri Lanka on dry, turning pitches that had proved so alien to the tourists during the Test matches.

He singled out David Warner for bouncing back to score a century in the final match, the consistent batting exploits of George Bailey (“out of this world”) and Travis Head, the continued development of legspinner Adam Zampa and the all-round efforts of the seam-bowling attack.

But he sounded a note of caution about the ‘horses for courses’ selection philosophy debate that has taken place since the world’s formerly number one Test team was beaten 3-0 by seventh-ranked Sri Lanka.

In particular the notion that performances during the Australian summer might not necessarily be the crucial criteria when the touring party for the four-match Test campaign in India is announced in late January.

Or indeed, that the make-up of the Test XI for the opening match of the home summer against South Africa in Perth in early November will be shaped by outcomes from the sole round of Sheffield Shield matches played before that team is selected.

"It doesn’t become that pivotal," Marsh said of the Test aspirants’ form in the opening round of the Shield competition in late October.

"For example, if someone we fancy doesn’t get runs or take wickets, we’ll probably still give him the benefit of the doubt.

"We know who plays well under those conditions and we’ll select accordingly.

"The horses-for-courses business, first of all you’ve got to know the course and we don’t know the course yet (with the schedule for the India Tests yet to be confirmed).

"But traditionally pitches in India have been very good to bat on in the first innings.

"So there’s not going to be a panic. 

"Good players are good players, that’s what we’ve got to remember.

"They’re usually good players because they can adapt to conditions.

"We had a bit of a blip here (in Sri Lanka) but we can’t afford to panic because it’s just ridiculous if we do.

"We want to play well. That’s what we have to do."