Predicting Australia's Squad for Autumn Series in Bangladesh
Australia's failure to retain the Ashes is going to lead to changes. Major changes.
In an interview with ESPN Cricinfo (h/t Jesse Hogan of the Sydney Morning Herald), ex-captain Ricky Ponting said: "There could be up to eight guys who might not ever play Test cricket again in this touring squad."
It is already known that Michael Clarke will not be around after the final match of the series against England.
Australia's current captain announced after the fourth Test defeat at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, that he will be retiring once the series has come to a conclusion.
Clarke told Channel 9 (h/t Sky Sports): "It's time for the next generation."
He is not the only one who will be wearing the Baggy Green for the last time at the Oval in London.
Per BBC Sport, opening batsman Chris Rogers revealed prior to the tour that he would be hanging up his batting gloves at the end of the series.
Ryan Harris, meanwhile, was forced to retire at the start of the trip because of a knee injury.
Brad Haddin and Shane Watson did not feature in the XI after the first Test defeat in Cardiff, Wales, while several other members of the squad are on the wrong side of 30.
Australia could therefore have a very different lineup when they travel to Bangladesh in October for a two-Test series.
We have taken out the crystal ball and predicted their 15-man squad for that tour.
Honourable Mentions/Selection Criteria
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Cricket Australia's selection panel can start building for the long-term future with the two games against Bangladesh.
It may well be that means some of the senior pros who have been heavily involved in the Ashes are rested, but no such announcements have yet been made.
Therefore, this squad has been selected on the basis that the current touring squad in England are all available for selection, bar the retiring duo of Clarke and Rogers.
But should Australia choose to leave some of their regulars at home for the trip to Bangladesh, here are some honourable mentions who could travel instead.
The two Mitchells, Johnson and Starc, are prime candidates to be given a break.
That decision is made easier for the selectors because of the strength in depth Australia has in the seam-bowling department.
The pace quartet of Sean Abbott, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Pattinson and Gurinder Sandhu are all in the Australia A squad that is touring India.
James Faulkner could also be included. However, he was not considered for the one-day leg of the tour to England after being found guilty of drink-driving, per the Press Association (h/t the Guardian).
As for slow bowlers, leg-spin pair Cameron Boyce and Adam Zampa could be taken to further their development.
Adam Voges has not been selected in this squad, though that doesn't mean his Test career is over. The veteran batsman, who made a century on his debut at the age of 35, has one final match against England to prove his worth. Runs at the Oval could see him extend his international shelf life.
Steve Smith
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Steve Smith will certainly be on the trip, and it is likely to be his first tour as Australia's new captain.
The right-handed batsman has yet to be confirmed as Michael Clarke's successor, but he is the obvious choice to take over his role.
Per Ali Martin of the Guardian, Australia coach Darren Lehmann said: "We lost one of our greats and when you lose someone as great a player as Michael was—and a leader—you’ve got to find the next man and I think, with board approval, that would be Steve Smith."
Smith led his country in Clarke's absence against India on home soil last year. He was prolific in that four-Test series, scoring 769 runs at an average of 128.16.
David Warner
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Along with new captain Smith, David Warner is one of the few batsmen in Australia's Ashes squad who can be confident of keeping his place.
The left-handed opener will continue to try and set the platform in his own, aggressive style.
According to Ben Horne in the Daily Telegraph, Warner—who will have a new opening partner because of the impending retirement of Rogers—could be in line to be named as Australia's new vice-captain.
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Usman Khawaja
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Usman Khawaja has had a taste of Test cricket—he's averaged 25.13, having made nine appearances in the longest format for Australia—without ever establishing himself in the team.
Born in Pakistan but raised in Australia, the left-hander was selected to captain the Australia A squad for their tour of India.
Ricky Ponting is certainly a believer in the 28-year-old, telling Dan Brettig of ESPN Cricinfo: "I think he'll get an opportunity somewhere at the top of the order for Australia and pretty soon, I think."
Cameron Bancroft
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Cameron Bancroft showed on the Australia A tour to India that he is an opening batsman capable of making big scores.
The 22-year-old hit 150 in the first innings of the second unofficial Test. He batted for more than six hours in Chennai in conditions that will be similar to what Australia will experience in Bangladesh.
With Rogers' departure leaving a void at the top of the batting order, Bancroft—who hit three centuries in domestic action last season—may not have to wait long to get a taste of Test cricket.
Joe Burns
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Joe Burns was unfortunate to miss out on a place in Australia's Ashes squad.
He scored two half-centuries in just his second Test, against India at Sydney in January of this year, but he was overlooked for the tours to both the West Indies and England that followed.
The versatile Burns could be used in a number of different positions in the batting order. He batted at six in the order against India but has opened the innings in domestic cricket.
Glenn Maxwell
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Forget waiting until October, the Roar made a strong case for Glenn Maxwell to play for Australia in the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval.
The big-hitting right-hander is currently in England playing county cricket for Yorkshire, which is why he was withdrawn from the Australia A squad to tour India.
Maxwell has played three Tests already, during which time he has been tried out in five different batting positions. With the pitches likely to favour slow bowlers in Bangladesh, his off-spin could be valuable.
Mitchell Marsh
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Mitchell Marsh looked set to take over as Australia's all-rounder batting at six in the order when he helped his side to victory over England at Lord's in the second Ashes Test.
However, after being part of the side that was beaten in the next match, the 23-year-old was replaced by his older brother, Shaun, for the fourth Test of the series.
The younger of the two siblings has a Test average of 30.70 with the bat, while his seam bowling adds an extra string to his bow and provides depth to the attack.
Peter Nevill
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Peter Nevill is the man in possession of the gloves after being preferred to veteran Brad Haddin during the Ashes series.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was thrust into the Test XI for the second game at Lord's after Haddin—who played in the opener in Cardiff—withdrew for personal reasons.
Nevill, who averages 42.40 in domestic cricket with the bat, has since kept his place behind the stumps despite Haddin's availability for selection.
Peter Handscomb
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Peter Handscomb makes the trip as the backup wicketkeeper, having done the job in Sheffield Shield cricket for his state, Victoria.
However, his most immediate chance of earning a Test cap could come as a frontline batsman—he averaged 53.91 in domestic action last season.
The 24-year-old—who has a British passport because he is the son of English parents—batted at four in the order for Australia A in the two unofficial Tests against their Indian counterparts.
Mitchell Johnson
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Mitchell Johnson may not have had a good time of it on the tour to England, but he is still one of the premier fast bowlers in the world game.
The left-armer became just the fifth Australian to take 300 Test wickets when he dismissed Jonny Bairstow with a brutal short ball on Day 2 of the third Ashes Test in Birmingham.
Johnson will have hope to overhaul mentor Dennis Lillee's tally of 355. However, at 33, Australia will want to take good care of their strike weapon.
It would not be a surprise if he was left out of the squad for the Bangladesh trip.
Mitchell Starc
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Like Mitchell Johnson, Australia will be keeping a close eye on the workload thrust upon their other left-armer, Mitchell Starc.
The 25-year-old played through the pain of an ankle problem in the opening Ashes Test in Wales.
However, per Ben Horne of the Daily Telegraph, Starc took inspiration from one of his fellow tourists: "If Ryan Harris can get through a broken knee to try and get right for the Ashes, I can get a little bit of ankle pain."
He was the joint leading wicket-taker at the Cricket World Cup earlier this year, finishing the tournament tied with New Zealand's Trent Boult on 22 scalps.
Josh Hazlewood
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A tall bowler capable of getting movement off the pitch and through the air, Josh Hazlewood has been compared to Glenn McGrath.
The tour of England has been a learning curve for the 24-year-old, though McGrath has been on hand to offer the young bowler some advice, per Sam Ferris of Cricket Australia's official website.
Bangladesh may not be the most suitable touring spot for seamers, but Hazlewood is quick enough to be a success on even the most benign surfaces.
Pat Cummins
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Australia looked to have struck gold when Pat Cummins picked up seven wickets on his Test debut against South Africa in 2011.
Injuries have since denied the paceman the chance to build on his impressive start. Yet despite a lack of cricket in recent years, Cricket Australia still opted to call him up to the Ashes squad to replace Ryan Harris.
Cummins may finally get the chance to add to his one Test cap on the tour of Bangladesh.
Nathan Lyon
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Nathan Lyon is undoubtedly Australia's first-choice slow bowler.
The off-spinner should find conditions in Bangladesh a little more to his liking than the surfaces he has been bowling on in England, allowing him to take centre stage after more recently playing a supporting role.
The 27-year-old—who once worked on the ground staff at the Adelaide Oval—has taken more than 150 Test wickets in his international career to date.
Ashton Agar
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Remember Ashton Agar? He was the young spin bowler suddenly handed his debut at the start of the 2013 Ashes series in England, having been picked ahead of Nathan Lyon.
He ended up making a bigger impression with the bat than the ball—he made 98 in the first Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham—but was dropped after the tourists were beaten at Lord's to go 2-0 down.
Still only 21, Agar played in the second unofficial Test for Australia A in India. He picked up the wicket of Virat Kohli in that match.
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