Australia Test squad: Peter Siddle and Aaron Finch picked to play Pakistan while Glenn Maxwell misses out

Angus Reid

Australia Test squad: Peter Siddle and Aaron Finch picked to play Pakistan while Glenn Maxwell misses out image

Cricket Australia has revealed their 15-man squad for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.

There are many surprises in what will be new coach Justin Langer's first Test series as head coach, with all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, batsman Peter Handscomb and paceman Jyhe Richardson missing out as veteran bowler Petter Siddle received a call up.

AUSTRALIA'S TEST SQUAD FOR SERIES AGAINST PAKISTAN IN UAE

Tim Paine (c)

Ashton Agar

Brendan Doggett*

Aaron Finch*

Travis Head*

Jon Holland

Usman Khawaja

Marnus Labuschagne*

Nathan Lyon

Mitchell Marsh

Shaun Marsh

Michael Neser*

Matthew Renshaw

Peter Siddle

Mitchell Starc

*Potential debutants

National Selector Trevor Hohns spoke about the surprise selections via a press release.

“There has been significant change to our Test squad, due to the unavailability of a number of key players,” Hohns said.

“That said, we firmly believe the squad selected is up to the challenge ahead, and is capable of playing a brand of cricket that can perform well in this series against Pakistan.

“It’s a blend of experienced players who have a significant amount of either Test or first-class cricket, and a number of younger players who we are confident are ready for the Test arena.

“Looking at the conditions we may face in the UAE, we believe this squad covers all bases. We have selected four front-line fast bowlers and three spinners, with Mitchell Marsh ready to play as an all-rounder and a number of top-order batsmen who also offer part-time spin options.

“There are five potential debutants in the squad, all of whom have earned selection through their performances and deserve this opportunity.

“Aaron is in sensational form, and this is the right time to give him a chance to play Test cricket. He has performed well in the Sheffield Shield in recent seasons, and brings added experience and leadership to this group.

“Travis has improved his game immensely over the past 12 months, and is the type of player we want in this environment. He’s a hard worker who has performed well with the bat in his recent four-day opportunities for Australia A and South Australia.

“Michael is a strong all-round cricketer - he bowls and bats well, and is a mature player coming off a fantastic Sheffield Shield season for Queensland. He has impressed us with his performances for Australia A and in his white-ball opportunities for Australia.

“Marnus is a young player with plenty of potential and a great work ethic. He has performed well in the Sheffield Shield, has shown he’s a good player of spin for Australia A in India, and is an elite fielder who offers added variety with the ball as a leg-spin option.

“Brendan is an exciting prospect, a fast bowler with raw pace and wicket-taking ability. He provides an additional option to Mitchell Starc if extra pace is called for, and this is an ideal opportunity to get him involved in a national set-up for the first time after his recent showings for Queensland and Australia A.”

Angus Reid

Angus Reid Photo