Australia has named a 13-member squad for the first two Ashes series Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Tim Paine will take the gloves, Cameron Bancroft will open the batting in place of Matthew Renshaw and Shaun Marsh will claim the contentious number 6 position, while quicks Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers are the 12th and 13th men.
Paine’s selection for his first Test match in more than seven years – and after he played as a batsman alongside Matthew Wade this week for Tasmania – is the most shocking move, while the decisions to reinstate Marsh and drop Renshaw will also generate heated debate as the series progresses.
The first Test of the series starts at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday (23 November).
Australia squad:
Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.
