Australia hand Paine shock Ashes recall

WicketkeeperTim Paine was handed a shock recall after a seven-year Test absenceyesterday as Australia gambled on sweeping changes for the first twoAshes Tests against England. Paine, who has not kept for Tasmania intheir opening three Sheffield Shield games because of the presence ofincumbent Test gloveman Matthew Wade, comes into the 13-man squad alongwith batsmen Cameron Bancroft and Shaun Marsh.In a stunningselection, 32-year-old Paine, who was once on the brink of retirementover a serious finger fracture, was preferred to Wade and Peter Nevillfor his first Test match since October 2010. Bancroft, a 24-year-oldright-hander, is in line for his Test debut at the expense of openingbatsman Matthew Renshaw following a prolific series of scores forWestern Australia in this season’s domestic Sheffield Shieldcompetition.Bancroft, who is also a wicketkeeper, amassed anunbeaten 228 with other scores of 86, 76, 76 and 73 for his state sideto force his Test claims, while Renshaw has struggled for runs forQueensland. Shaun Marsh, 34, makes yet another return to the Australianside and is slated to bat at number six to shore up the batting insteadof all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright.Only fiveplayers survive from Australia’s last Test against Bangladesh inSeptember. The first Ashes Test is in Brisbane next week, with thesecond — a day-night match — in Adelaide from December 2. The selectionswere described as “bombshells” in Australian press, while former Testbowler Stuart MacGill lashed the selectors as “morons”. “Ashesselections.... made by morons mascarading (sic) as mentors. Times (sic)up gents,” he tweeted.National selector Trevor Hohns said Paine hasbeen in the sights of selectors despite being overlooked by Tasmania toplay behind the stumps this season. But he also hit out at the“unconvincing performances” of rival players, indicating that selectorsfelt their options were limited.“He’s (Paine) our Twenty20 ‘keeperand performs well there, his batting has been pretty good of late andthe other side of it... is the unconvincing performances of othercontenders,” said Hohns, according to Australian media.Bancroft’sweight of runs proved an irresistible claim based on form for selectorsgiven Renshaw’s run of low scores for Queensland. “Cameron has been aplayer of interest to us for some time now, having been unlucky to missout on the Test tour to Bangladesh that was cancelled in 2015,” Hohnssaid. “He is a very talented and tough cricketer who shows a goodtemperament for Test cricket.”For Marsh, it is his eighth recall tothe Australian Test team as selectors look for their best six batsmen indeference to the strong England bowling attack. “Shaun is playing verywell at the moment, having scored consistently in the One-Day Cup andfirst three rounds of the Sheffield Shield competition,” Hohns said.PacemanChadd Sayers has been added to the strong fast-bowling line-up in thesquad along with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and JacksonBird to give selectors options. But Hohns said the selection panel didnot feel Renshaw was batting well enough to merit Test selection.“Westill view Matthew as a player of immense talent, but he is out of format the moment and we don’t feel an Ashes Test match is the best placefor him to find form,” he said.Australia squad: Steve Smith (capt),David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, PeterHandscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, TimPaine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.