WA batsman added for Adelaide as Australia's grieving cricketers turn attention to playing
Shaun Marsh called-up to Aussie Test squad
Western Australian batsman Shaun Marsh has been added to Australia's Test squad as attentions turned towards the Commonwealth Bank Test Series for the grieving players.
Most of the Australia squad flew from Coffs Harbour to Adelaide today following an emotional day in Macksville for the funeral of Phillip Hughes on Wednesday.
The addition to the Test squad, which now numbers 13, raises the prospect of Shaun and Mitch Marsh becoming the first set of brothers to play Test cricket for Australia since Steve and Mark Waugh in October 2002.
A Cricket Australia statement said: "The National Selection Panel has today advised that West Australian Shaun Marsh has been added to the Test squad as an additional batsman for the first Commonwealth Bank Test.
"The Australian Test squad will assemble in Adelaide today and tomorrow ahead of the first Test starting on Tuesday 9 December."
Shaun Marsh's call-up comes as question marks remain over captain Michael Clarke's fitness.
The Australia skipper had been recovering from a hamstring injury but had put his treatment on hold after Hughes was struck batting in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG last Tuesday, November 25.
Ahead of the last round of Shield matches, Marsh and Hughes were both batting with the knowledge there was likely to be a vacant spot in the Australia team for a Test match that had been due to start today.
Marsh, batting at the MCG against Victoria, scored an unbeaten 134, featuring 12 boundaries and three sixes (see video highlights above), before the round of Sheffield Shield matches was abandoned in the wake of Hughes's death.
The tragic death of Hughes from a freak injury after a blow to the neck forced a reshuffle to Australia's domestic and international cricket schedule, with the Brisbane Test now to be held second in the Border-Gavaskar Series.
Australia squad: Michael Clarke (c), Brad Haddin (wk), Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson.