Australia announce Test squad for the tour of New Zealand

Cricket Australia announced the Australian Test squad for the tour of New Zealand where the team will play 3 ODIs and 2 Tests. CA selectors added two new names- Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers in the squad for the tour. Both the seam bowlers are in to support the trio of Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle.

New Zealand are expected to roll out greener surfaces where the seamers will dominate the proceedings and thus the selectors opted to add more firepower to their pace battery. Bird made his Test debut for Australia against Sri Lanka in December 2012 and played his last Test against England during the Ashes of 2013 while this is Sayers maiden national Test call-up.

Chairman of selectors Rod Marsh said, “Chadd’s got a terrific record in Sheffield Shield cricket, he was injured most of last summer but he started well again this summer,”

“The season before he was rewarded with A team status in the side that went to England and did very well there. And it’s a matter of horses for courses, we think the conditions in New Zealand will suit Chadd as much as anyone. He’s a good bowler under conditions that nibble around a little bit, and we’re very happy for him to be chosen.

“Even last summer when he played earlier in [2014] against India A at Allan Border Field you remember that game where it appeared thousands of runs were scored. Chadd bowled a lot of overs and got five-for and his figures outshone any other bowler. He can bowl, he thoroughly deserves his selection.

“Under normal New Zealand conditions I think you have to bowl line and length, you’ve got to be patient. It’s something we haven’t always been good at, but we’ll have to get good at it if we want to win this series.”

Both Bird and Sayers aren’t out and out express pacers and it is something that doesn’t go in with coach Darren Lehmann’s strategy. Is the selection panel deviating from the original plan? Marsh said that they tried to pick the best among the guys available, “I haven’t deviated from anything, because what I always thought is you pick the best bowlers for those conditions,” he said. “To me speed is not everything … there’s no point bowling 150kph if you bowl half volleys and wides. Good bowling is good bowling, you pick your best bowlers. I don’t care what speed they bowl, as long as they bowl beautifully.”

“That’s the bottom line, they’ve done exceptionally well. Make hay while the sun shines. Their confidence is obviously up and it’ll need to be up, because New Zealand are a very, very good cricket team.”

“Australia’s most recent Test tour of New Zealand was in 2010. Of that touring party only Smith, who was then a young and uncapped project player, will be making the trip again. I don’t know what we’re going to get in New Zealand, but if you just look at the pitch they played on in the World Cup game in Auckland that did a bit,” Marsh said. “And the Sri Lankan series those did a bit, so you’re assuming they’re going to do a little bit.”

“It’s exciting at the moment because if we win in New Zealand we could well go to No. 1, if we play decent T20 cricket we could well go to No. 1 there, and I think we’re that far ahead in one day cricket on the ratings it could be that we could get to No. 1 in all three forms.”

Tour fixtures-

Feb 3 – 14:00 local (01:00 GMT | 06:30 IST)

1st ODI – New Zealand v Australia, Eden Park, Auckland

Feb 6 – 14:00 local (01:00 GMT | 06:30 IST)

2nd ODI – New Zealand v Australia, Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Feb 8 – 14:00 local (01:00 GMT | 06:30 IST)

3rd ODI – New Zealand v Australia, Seddon Park, Hamilton

Feb 12 – Tue Feb 1610:30 local (21:30 GMT -1d | 03:00 IST)

1st Test – New Zealand v Australia, Basin Reserve, Wellington

Feb 20 – Wed Feb 2410:30 local (21:30 GMT -1d | 03:00 IST)

2nd Test – New Zealand v Australia, Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Australia Test squad:

Steven Smith (C), David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Chadd Sayers, Jackson Bird.