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Australia selectors slammed as morons over Ashes squad inclusions

Surprise inclusion: Tim Paine: Getty Images
Surprise inclusion: Tim Paine: Getty Images

Australia’s selectors were today forced to defend a contentious Ashes squad in a row that is threatening to disrupt the hosts’ build-up to next week’s First Test against England.

Shane Warne criticised the choices as “confused”, while Stuart MacGill, another former Australia player, branded the selectors as “morons masquerading as mentors”.

Selection chief Trevor Hohns and his panel, which includes former Australia batsman Mark Waugh, dropped a bombshell today by picking a wicketkeeper in Tim Paine who has not played Test cricket for seven years and recalling a batsman in Shaun Marsh, 34, who has been axed nine times.

Both are the wrong side of 30 and have questionable records at the highest level but are in the squad for the opening two Tests.

There were also places in the 13-man party for two uncapped players — 30-year-old medium pace bowler Chad Sayers and opener Cameron Bancroft, the latter replacing English-born Matt Renshaw, who hit 184 in his last Test innings on Australian soil, against Pakistan in January.

Warne, the leg-spin great who took 708 Test wickets, said: “England at the moment are just going along nicely. Australia look confused. They’re picking wicketkeepers that aren’t even keeping for their state. To me, I think England are in a better situation going into that First Test than Australia are.”

Paine, who played the last of his four Tests in October 2010, has not scored a first-class century for a decade. He is also behind Matthew Wade as a keeper for Tasmania but has been picked for the Ashes ahead of his out-of-form rival and Peter Nevill, the other contender from New South Wales, largely because of two half-centuries he has hit in the past week

Paine played his last Test for Australia in 2010 (AFP/Getty Images)
Paine played his last Test for Australia in 2010 (AFP/Getty Images)

The 32-year-old, who is his country’s T20 keeper, struck the first of those for a Cricket Australia XI in a tour game against England in Adelaide and followed up with an unbeaten 71 in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield match against Victoria, when he was playing as a specialist batsman.

Hohns, Australia’s chief selector, was forced to defend the call-up of Paine, whose career had slid so much that two years ago he was playing for Oxfordshire club for Banbury CC in the Home Counties Premier League.

Admitting Paine was ultimately the best of a bad bunch, Hohns said: “It was fairly tough. We had a lengthy debate about the wicketkeeping position. He [Paine] is regarded as the best gloveman in the country. Then, of course, you go to the other side of the coin, the unconvincing performances of the other wicketkeeping contenders.”

Hohns also attempted to justify the selection of Marsh, whose only previous Ashes Test came at Trent Bridge in 2015 when he made scores of nought and two, ahead of dangerous all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and incumbent Hilton Cartwright.

“Both those fellas were spoken about,” he said. “We came up with the fact they haven’t performed well this year.

“Everybody knew there were positions up for grabs, so it was up to them to perform and present their case to us. We just feel Shaun Marsh has performed much, much better and demanded to be chosen.”

Paine’s surprise call-up was even more special, given he considered giving up cricket earlier this year to work for sports manufacturer Kookaburra. Asked if he had given up hope of a Test recall, the Tasmanian said: “I thought it was pretty close, if I’m honest. I wasn’t far off taking a job at Kookaburra, so to even be playing first-class cricket is probably more than I expected at one stage.

“To have this opportunity is amazing. It’s mine to do what I can with it. I’m a little bit surprised but very grateful and excited. I’m as ready as I’ve ever been with the gloves and I’m rapt to have the opportunity.”