Australia’s selection committee has decided to stick with its well-established Test squad ahead of the Ashes, given the ongoing debate over the group’s advancing years. Steve Waugh, who once captained the team, has publicly questioned whether the current approach addresses the team’s sustainability. As Waugh said, “Bailey needed to make tough calls to regenerate the party and has failed to do so in the past, putting Australia’s future at risk.” He continued: “He will have to step up to the plate with the other selectors. The bowlers are in their 30s and some of the batsmen are coming on as well.” Despite the scathing remarks, chairman George Bailey maintained that performance, not age, anchors every selection.
The official 15-man list for the Ashes, which begins in Perth on November 21, includes just one player under 30: all-rounder Cameron Green. Speaking to reporters, Bailey acknowledged the demographic reality of the team. “We are aware of the age profile of the team. He followed: “I wonder when people have that opinion about who they want to leave (out). Is it Nathan Lyon and Mitch Starc out, is it just because of their age?”
Bailey continued to support the current group, noting that recent outings on the field dictated the selection. “You have to have due respect that the lads are performing very well and have the right to be selected.” The Jury consistently looked for a group of experienced players, especially in bowling: Starc, Lyon, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins led the attack for nearly a decade.
Rising batsman Sam Konstas, 20, will not play. Instead, the selectors brought in uncapped Jake Weatherald and brought back Marnus Labuschagne, 31. Weatherald or Labuschagne are expected to start with 38-year-old Usman Khawaja, underscoring the selectors’ preference for testing skills.
Mitchell Marsh, age 34, was consideredbut was not selected for the team. Marsh, the T20s captain, is now set to attend the opening match in Perth as a spectator, fulfilling an earlier promise. Bailey joked: “We went to the ICC (International Cricket Council) and the thing was they wouldn’t let the umpires bring breathalyzers onto the pitch,” adding: “So if he was going to be six or eight beers deep by the time the first ball was bowled, that would be tricky.”
The onus for the bowling continues to rest on the mid-thirties – Starc, Lyon, Hazlewood and Cummins – whose tenure and performance have shaped Australia’s Test side in recent years. The selectors show no signs of shifting their stance, pointing to ongoing form as their metric. The public discussion doesn’t seem to have changed the group’s stance on relying on longtime players.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
November 5, 2025
