Aussies back veteran openers for Pakistan series

Selection chair George Bailey has effectively confirmed veteran pair David Warner and Usman Khawaja will open together in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, but succession planning has begun to ensure future Australia openers are schooled in subcontinent conditions.

In addition to the 35-year-old left-handers who began their cricket careers as junior team clubmates in Sydney's eastern suburbs, the 18-man touring party named today includes Marcus Harris who lost his place to Khawaja during the recent Vodafone Ashes triumph over England.

Should they forge an enduring union at the top of Australia's batting order, Warner and Khawaja will become the oldest pair of regular openers to don the Baggy Green Cap since Justin Langer (then 36) and Matthew Hayden (35) during Langer's farewell series against England in 2006-07.

But while Khawaja revealed today he will revert to the role of opener for Queensland in this week's Marsh Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales to further prepare for the new-ball attack awaiting him in the nation of his birth, Harris has been assured he's more than merely an injury substitute in Pakistan.

Bailey conceded today that with Test tours to Pakistan and Sri Lanka this year and an expected red-ball campaign in India in 2023, selectors were keen to ensure Harris gained experience batting in subcontinent conditions even if it was primarily during Australia's practice sessions.

"I certainly think David Warner and Uz (Khawaja) would most likely start as the openers in Pakistan," Bailey said today.

"But we're also aware – not that age is a be-all and end-all barrier – that both Uz and Bull (Warner) are around 35.

"So we're just conscious that it's really important to keep developing that specialist opening role.

"We've got a lot of subcontinent cricket coming up over the next 12-18 months so it's important to keep focusing on a bit of a succession plan and developing Harry's (Harris's) skills.

"He's the spare opener there (in Pakistan).

"We continue to think Harry got better and better as the Ashes was going on, and a lot's been said about that innings in Melbourne (where he top-scored in the third Ashes Test) in difficult circumstances."

With a further eye to planning for future subcontinent tours, Bailey expressed his delight that Test-capped opener Will Pucovski is expected to return to Shield cricket for Victoria in the match against South Australia starting at Adelaide Oval tomorrow.

Pucovski has not played at first-class level since injuring his shoulder in a fielding mishap during his Test debut against India in January 2021, and Bailey declined to put a timetable on when selectors might once again consider his availability for the national team.

However, with Khawaja backed to retain the opening berth he reclaimed by scoring back-to-back middle-order centuries in his return to Test cricket last month, the make-up of Australia's top six seems locked in at least for the start of the Pakistan tour.

No such surety exists around the bowling line-up which Bailey conceded will be dictated by the conditions Australia find at the three Test venues on their first tour to the Islamic republic since 1998.

He indicated early intelligence reports showed pitch conditions at Rawalpindi (where the first Test begins March 4) were tipped to benefit pace bowlers, which means Australia will likely unleash first-choice quicks Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood as well as all-rounder Cameron Green.

"A lot of the first-class data we've been looking at, and chatting to a few people who have played over there, there's one pitch in particular (Rawalpindi) we think will suit the fast bowlers," Bailey told reporters today.

"I think Karachi (venue of second Test) will take a bit of spin and we're not so sure about Lahore (third Test), that generally has been a bit of a better batting wicket.

"Over some of the last sub continent tours we've been on, there's been opportunities for teams to exploit some of the gaps in our skill set at different times.

"I certainly feel with this squad we've got an incredibly strong fast bowling line-up with some all-round depth which gives us some great flexibility with whatever eleven we want to go with.

"We've got some great spin depth ... and we're confident Sweppo (leg spinner Mitchell Swepson) and Ash (left-arm spinner Ashton Agar) would do a great job if given the opportunity.

"And also Marnus (Labuschagne), Steve Smith and Heady (Travis Head) can bowl some handy overs as well."

In each of Australia's past five Test campaigns in subcontinental conditions – including their most recent series against Pakistan in the UAE in 2014 and 2018 – they have deployed a left-arm orthodox spinner whether Agar, Steve O'Keefe, Jon Holland or even Michael Clarke alongside off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

And despite having played just one first-class match over the past year (with none in the current Australia summer to date), Agar looms as Australia's potential auxiliary spinner or spin-bowling all-rounder option should pitch conditions dictate.

"What we like about Ash is the incredible all-round skill set," said Bailey who confirmed Agar had pushed ahead of Victoria's Holland in the queue for a Test spinner's berth.

"I think his bowling will continue to get better, but what we've seen is that the way he bowls (in limited-overs formats) is pretty adaptable to red-ball cricket.

"Having that option in your squad is particularly important, particularly for some of these wickets where sometimes leg spinners can be bowling on the best part of the wicket and I think it (subcontinent) was a place where at times Warnie (Shane Warne) struggled to make an impact.

"Whereas the finger spin tends to have more of an impact at times."

The need to improve players' skills in subcontinent conditions – where Australia have won just three of their past 26 Tests over 15 years – is but one reason for the expanded touring party of 18.

Another is the COVID-19 contingency requirements to ensure replacements are available for every specialist role in the team, while the ongoing pandemic also means flying in spare players to cover injuries remains a lengthy process given reduced commercial flight availability.

Bailey expressed a hope that Australia's first offshore Test assignment since their 2019 Ashes sojourn might also herald a return of future A-team tours to further expose players on the cusp of national representation to unfamiliar playing conditions.

With three one-day internationals and a T20 international scheduled in Pakistan immediately after the three-Test series, interim coach Andrew McDonald will be involved alongside incumbent selectors Bailey and Tony Dodemaide in finalising the white-ball touring party.

However, with the first ODI to be played in Rawalpindi on March 29 – shortly after the scheduled beginning of the Indian Premier League tournament in which a number of Australia players are likely to figure – Bailey confirmed that potential conflict would also be considered by selectors.

"We're working through that, there's a couple of components to it," he said of the potential overlap in schedules.

"We do see the IPL as a really good development opportunity when it fits, but there's obviously a huge amount of cricket with a series (in Sri Lanka) planned for immediately-post the IPL as well.

"So it will be about working with the individuals to ensure they're getting the preparation they need, but we certainly won't be releasing players to the IPL while Australia are playing."

Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

March 29:First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: Only T20I, Rawalpindi

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