Germany will be the home nation for the 17th European Football Championship, which kicks off in June
Left-armed spinner Xavier Doherty was the biggest surprise in the party for the Brisbane test having made his one-day international debut against Sri Lanka just 12 days ago at the age of 29.
Doherty is one of three spinners in the squad, alongside offspinner Nathan Hauritz and young leg-spinner Steve Smith as the selectors continue wrestling with who should support their likely three-pronged pace attack at the Gabba from Nov. 25.
Uncapped batsmen Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson, who with Smith will face England for Australia A this week, were other inclusions who should keep the more experienced players focused.
“It’s a longer squad than normal primarily because we want to take a look at the next round of Sheffield Shield games and the very important Australia A series,” chief selector Andrew Hilditch said.
“The squad will be reduced to 12 or 13 immediately before the players arrive in Brisbane. It will be a lot of pressure on the players with such a big squad,” he told a handful of fans at a rain-soaked announcement at Sydney’s Circular Quay.
Vice-captain Michael Clarke (back), opener Simon Katich (thumb) and Doug Bollinger (side) were named despite injury concerns, as was fast bowler Ryan Harris, who suffered swelling to his injured knee up after his return to action last week.
Hauritz has been given a chance to prove his critics wrong after a poor tour of India but the inclusion of Doherty, who took four wickets on his debut, as well as Smith will keep the pressure on him.
“We’ve just got to decide who is bowling the best spin bowling at that particular moment,” Hilditch said.
“Nathan’s bowling in the last year in Australia in particular has been very good... we’ve got to decide whether a left-arm orthodox will be a better option in the test match.” Experienced middle-order batsmen Mike Hussey and Marcus North are retained but will have to be on their toes with big-scoring Pakistan-born Khawaja and Ferguson waiting in the wings.
“If we can change the side and make it better we’ll look at change but if we can’t make it better there’s no need to change,” Hilditch added.
“There’s a couple of issues we’re looking at... any of those 17 players can make the test side.”
England, who are defending the Ashes, will name their team on the first morning of the first test on Nov. 25 but, barring injury, few surprises are expected.
“At the moment they are a pretty settled side, there’s no doubt about that,” Australia captain Ricky Ponting said.
“We’ve introduced a lot of new faces in all forms of the game and most of those guys have stood up and played well.”
Germany will be the home nation for the 17th European Football Championship, which kicks off in June
People of determination and senior citizens participated in the initiative to ensure cleanliness and safety of public spaces
Residents laud the authorities for their swift response and efficient handling of unstable weather conditions on Thursday
Ultra-luxury developments show strong growth in Q1 as demand hits all-time high
The warning by Gallant Knight 3 is in response to a link entitled 'Compassion for Gaza' circulating
Tremors were felt by residents of the northern part of the province, including the capital Quetta
From streamlining administrative tasks to enhancing patient care, AI is revolutionising the way healthcare is delivered
Book subscription discounts and exclusive offers from publishing partners are also up for grabs