Australia have announced their squad for the first Test of the 2025/26 Ashes.
Australia drop Sam Konstas for first Ashes Test
One player in the squad is conspicuous by absence: Sam Konstas. The 20-year-old opener made a terrific Test debut in the last Australian summer as he took on India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, but his form has tailed off since then.
Konstas was next called up for the West Indies tour earlier this year. Although conditions were difficult for batting throughout, his 50 runs in six innings would have done little to inspire confidence.
He did score a century for Australia A in India in September, but has failed to impress in this season's Sheffield Shield thus far, with 122 runs at 22.3 in three matches.
Chief selector George Bailey, however, remained upbeat on the batter's potential: "I feel for Sammy. I feel like at the moment if he farts, it's a headline. There's a handful of young guys his age playing Shield cricket around the country and they're all learning.
"Sammy's no different, he just happens to be doing it under immense scrutiny. We really like him. We like the skill set there and we're confident that will continue to build out."
Read more: 'Can he cover drive?' - Former Australia captain says Konstas needs to shelve 'the bloody ramp shot'
Jake Weatherald, Brendan Doggett receive call-ups
Selected in Konstas's place, is 31-year-old Tasmania opening batter Jake Weatherald. He made 0 and 12 in his most recent game against Victoria, but had three half-centuries in four Sheffield Shield innings prior to that. He was also the top run-getter in last year's Sheffield Shield, with 906 in 10 matches.
Regular skipper Pat Cummins was ruled out of the first Test with injury, with captaincy duties falling to Steve Smith.Scott Boland is expected to slot into the XI, but Australia have picked two Test-uncapped seam bowlers in Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett by way of squad cover.
Abbott is a white-ball regular for Australia, with 29 ODIs and 28 T20Is to his name so far. He most recently turned out for the national team in the third T20I against India three days ago.
Doggett, 31, is yet to play any international cricket. He was picked in Australia's squad for the 2017-18 home Ashes but did not make it onto the field. From 49 first-class matches, he has 184 wickets at 26.75. Doggett's career-best figures of 11-140 came in last year's Sheffield Shield final, as he led South Australia to a first title in 29 years.
Fourteen of Australia's 15 selected here will be in action in the next round of the Sheffield Shield. The exception is Usman Khawaja, with the 38-year-old's workload set to be managed.
Australia squad: First Ashes Test, November 21 in Perth
Batters
Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Jake Weatherald.
Wicketkeepers
Alex Carey, Josh Inglis.
All-rounders
Cameron Green, Beau Webster.
Bowlers
Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc.
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