EXCLUSIVE: Mike Whitney tips Ashes selection shake-up for Australia, clips Stokes with ‘never changes’ sledge
Former Australian Test fast bowler Mike Whitney believes Steve Smith’s side remains in the box seat leading into the Ashes opener despite the losses of captain Pat Cummins and fellow gun quick Josh Hazlewood, although he’s urged selectors to rethink the batting order as a result of the injuries.
Australia’s familiarity with the Perth conditions and England’s heavily criticised build-up have the pendulum swinging in the hosts’ favour, according to Whitney, who said in reply to Ben Stokes’ “cricket has changed so much” defence: “Preparation never changes, bro.”
Australia’s vaunted bowling attack was on Saturday stripped of another star paceman when a second set of scans on Hazlewood’s right hamstring revealed he’d suffered a strain during last week’s Sheffield Shield clash between NSW and Victoria at the SCG.
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Australia is without Cummins, who’s dealing with a back injury, back-up quick Sean Abbott, who strained his left hamstring while playing for NSW last week, and Hazlewood.
Selectors have added veteran pace-bowling all-rounder Michael Neser to the squad and are expected to replace Hazlewood in the XI with Brendan Doggett — a former Toowoomba carpenter who bloomed late and at the age of 31 has 190 first-class wickets at 26.46.
Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins will both miss the first Ashes Test. Getty
Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland are Australia’s two other quicks set to play in the first Test, beginning on Friday.
Whether selectors compensate for the losses of Cummins and Hazlewood by picking both Cameron Green and Beau Webster remains to be seen.
If they do, Marnus Labuschagne would likely open with Usman Khawaja at the expense of the uncapped Jake Weatherald to make room for Green at first drop as Webster slots in at six.
Whitney admitted the loss of Hazlewood was a “massive blow” but said he “absolutely” remained confident in Australia.
“And I feel that way because all our guys have been playing. They’ve all played rounds and rounds of Shield cricket. There’s been some one-day cricket in amongst that,” Whitney told Wide World of Sports.
“England have played some short-form games in New Zealand and didn’t do too well, and then having a three-day centre-wicket practice match against England A [the Lions] — I was with Ian Botham twice in about the last month and I asked him about that and he just said, ‘Yeah, it’s not what we’re used to’.
“I’ve heard Ben Stokes say, ‘Oh, you know, we’re playing a lot of cricket these days and things change over the decades’.
“Preparation never changes, bro.”
Mike Whitney in action in 1981. Fairfax
Stokes’ team has warmed up for the Ashes with nothing but a three-day match against England’s second-tier side at Perth’s Lilac Hill Park.
Botham, widely regarded England’s greatest-ever all-rounder, said the approach “borders on arrogance”.
“This is a five-Test series and England haven’t won out here for a long time,” Whitney said, “and I just think they must be unprepared.”
Optus Stadium is set to host an Ashes Test for the first time. The venue was still a few months away from opening when England toured in 2017-18, and Western Australia’s COVID-19 restrictions didn’t allow it to host a match in 2021-22.
“All those [Australian] boys have played there. They know what the conditions are,” Whitney said.
“Even the guys that aren’t from Perth, like Boland and Doggett, have played there. They know what’s going on. Starcy’s played there plenty of times.
“You’re gonna get bounce and carry if the conditions are right, they’ll get swing with the new ball.
“On the other side, if Jofra [Archer] and Mark Wood click into gear, you’re talking about two blokes who can bowl 145-150 [kilometres per hour] at Perth. I mean, that’s serious stuff, and their back-ups aren’t too shabby.
“But I think the pendulum still swings in our favour.”
Mitchell Starc celebrates taking a wicket with Alex Carey and Usman Khawaja. Getty
Whitney reckons Australia’s selectors should go with both Green and Webster to bolster the bowling unit in the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood.
In an important step in his return from back surgery, Green bowled 16 overs in Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at the WACA last week.
“If Hazlewood wasn’t injured I probably would have picked Weatherald to open, but now there’s been change [to the squad],” Whitney said.
“A lot of selection revolves around how much Green is bowling.
“He’s a fabulous player. I didn’t think he could bat [at] three, but he made me eat humble pie last year because he played some fantastic innings at No.3. And he’s got bucket hands and he’s six foot a thousand and [has] the big wing span. So he’s a bonus in any team.
“But we’ve got to make sure he can get that bowling right. To have them [England] four or five [down] and have Green bowling at 140 [kilometres per hour] and sticking it up ’em is just an absolute bonus.
Brendan Doggett is expected to earn a Test call-up this week. Getty
“In my assessment, being old-school, he hasn’t really bowled a lot … I would think that now Hazlewood is out, Marnus may open and they’ll carry the extra bowler. I think it’s then [a] more balanced [team].”
As for Doggett, Whitney rates the South Australia quick highly.
“I think he’s a bit quicker [than Hazlewood]. He sort of slides onto you a little bit. He looks like he’s got good control, his record suggests that he’s earned his debut, and he gives everything. So that’s all you want out of your quicks,” Whitney said.
“He’s gonna be backing up Boland and Starc. They’ll obviously take the new ball.
“I think he’s got the chops to do it, he’ll be very, very excited, and he is another one of our Indigenous brothers making his debut in Test cricket, which is fantastic.”
