'Certainly has a place': Stanlake in Australia's Test thinking

Billy Stanlake was a little surprised when his name was thrown into the Test selection mix by George Bailey last week, but after an injury-free summer and return to regular red-ball cricket, he's now daring to dream of the format he's never given up on playing.

The towering paceman featured in three of Tasmania's final five Sheffield Shield matches last season, with a career-best four-wicket haul against Western Australia in February undoubtedly helping him catch the eye of Bailey's national selection panel.

It marked the most red-ball appearances the 31-year-old had managed in a single season since the four matches he played in 2019-20, having spent much of the intervening years sidelined by persistent back and hamstring injuries.

But after implementing several physical and technical tweaks over the past two years, Stanlake is back on the Aussie radar perhaps sooner than even he expected.

The right-armer played his first international match in more than seven years in May after returning to the ODI squad in Pakistan, with Bailey spruiking his Test prospects too after he was also included for the upcoming 50-over tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa.

"We're certainly interested," Australia's men's selection chair said on Tuesday when asked if Stanlake was a genuine Test option over the next 12 months.

"We're not rushing it and understand that he's missed a large chunk of (cricket) over a period of time, but there's some fundamentals in the way he goes about it and his skill set that at his best would certainly have a place at Test level.

"That's something we'll look to explore in the near future."

Exactly where Stanlake sits in Australia's fast-bowling pecking order is uncertain, but with up to 19 Tests on the horizon by next August, which includes high-profile tours of South Africa, India and England, as well as a home summer against New Zealand, Bailey knows their depth could be tested.

Despite playing only 13 first-class matches since his debut more than a decade ago, Stanlake possesses attributes few bowlers can match. Standing at 204cm and capable of pushing speeds towards 150kph, he offers a unique point of difference among those on the fringe of the Test squad.

Bailey indicated that extra pace options could be needed for next year's five-Test Indian tour. Brendan Doggett, Jhye Richardson and uncapped seamer Fergus O'Neill are among the others vying for a Test call-up having been picked for this month's Australia A tour of the subcontinent nation.

While Bailey said Richardson – who played in last year's Boxing Day Ashes Test – remains an "incredibly skilful bowler", he has reservations as to whether he'll be able to recapture the mid-140kph ball speed he was able to regularly produce before undergoing shoulder surgery last year.

Richardson, however, remains hopeful. He said his shoulder was capable and he had produced that kind of pace post-surgery, albeit not yet for sustained periods.

That desire for genuine speed is one reason Stanlake has quickly caught the attention of the selection panel, with his on-pace deliveries hovering around the 140kph mark for Hobart Hurricanes last BBL season.

Now two to three kilograms leaner, the Tasmanian quick hopes a return to the playing weight of his early twenties will lead to increased durability in the red-ball format.

"I thought that might just help a little bit while maintaining my strength and power, which is obviously very important," Stanlake said.

Paired with minor technical adjustments to his jump and ball load-up at the bowling crease, Stanlake has regained a confidence in his body that's allowed him to focus mostly on bowling.

"It was nice to get through those three Shield games unscathed," he said.

"I feel like my workloads have stayed very consistent and stable for a while now and that's a really good building block going into this season.

"The plan is to play some more first-class games (this season). The more I was getting out in the middle, the better (it felt), so hopefully I stay fit and keep bowling well.

"It's definitely a goal I've still got (to play Test cricket) and something that I would love to do.

"The body is feeling good and it's obviously nice to hear those comments. But I've still got to go out there and bowl well. That's the only thing I can do."

This month will be Stanlake’s second tour of Zimbabwe. After making his ODI and T20 international debuts as a 23-year-old in 2017, he played in a T20 tri-series featuring the African side as well as Pakistan in Harare the following year, taking seven wickets in five games.

"I was pumped when I was in Pakistan and to play a game was a good feeling," he said of his return to the Australian set-up for the first time since 2019.

"It's been a long four to five years of grinding away (due to) a few injuries and getting back to a good place physically and bowling (wise) took a bit of time.

"But there's a little bit of reward there now, and I'm just super excited to get over there again to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

"I want to go there and if I get an opportunity to play, hopefully bowl well and go from there. I love playing for Australia so it's a good feeling being back around the group."

Qantas tour of Zimbabwe 2026

All matches to be broadcast exclusively in Australia on Kayo and Fox Cricket

First ODI: September 15, Harare Sports Club, 5:30pm AEST (9:30am local)

Second ODI: September 18, Harare Sports Club, 5:30pm AEST (9:30am local)

Third ODI: September 20, Harare Sports Club, 5:30pm AEST (9:30am local)

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Adam Zampa