Selectors to consider lots of factors when deciding who partners Khawaja, says McDonald

New Delhi: Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said the selection committee will consider lots of factors before deciding who partners with Usman Khawaja at the top for the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India, starting on November 22 in Perth.

The opening slot contenders – Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft – are currently engaged in playing the first of two four-day games for Australia A, captained by McSweeney, against India A at Mackay, followed by next week’s clash in Melbourne.

“So look, I mean, people have spoken about a ‘bat off’ and those types of terms. But there is a lot of context and consideration around (the) body of work for those senior players in Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft.”

“Clearly Sam Konstas hasn’t had that ability to have that body of work behind him because of the limited Shield cricket that he’s played, and then Nathan (McSweeney) is somewhere in the middle of that.”

“There is context with everything. So you can take Sam, for example, he’s had limited experience in Perth (and with) pink ball games and then obviously with the Gabba. So there’s incredible challenges for players who have not played in those conditions before. It’s not to so that he can’t do that either. He’s a fast learner.”

“And then you look at Marcus Harris. It wasn’t that long ago that he played a blinding innings (at the MCG) against England. I think he got 70 runs. And the percentage of runs in that game was hugely important. So everyone’s got an avenue through that. We’ve got to, obviously have the (consideration of) context around everything that we decide upon,” said McDonald to reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

He also revealed all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is in the frame for selection when Australia take on Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series next year. Maxwell, 36, last played Tests for Australia in 2017 during the Bangladesh tour. Though he’s not on the radar for selection in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“If you looked at the last two Test matches in Pakistan and India, the ability to play on that horizontal plane sweeping and reverse sweeping, I think will be a critical skill if the conditions are extreme.”

“Does he (Maxwell) fit that profile? 100 per cent he fits that profile. The big challenge for ‘Maxi’ is clearly his body and whether he can get through Test cricket, and what that may look like on the back of BBL (Big Bash League),”

McDonald, who’s given an extension in his tenure till 2027, stated ensuring a smooth transition in the Australian team is also a key priority for him. “There will be some transition – if you want to call it that – over the next few years, but we’re big believers that there’s no endpoint, or age shouldn’t be the determinant, young or old, as to whether you’re in the Australian cricket team.”

“It’s very hard to change a settled team that’s performing really well. There’s historical moments, I think people take it back to the 1970s and 2007, where mass players have exited and they’ve struggled to perform at the same level. We’re not beholden to the past, if you get the selections right on the back of players exiting, then the transition is a lot smoother.”

“We’ve got different challenges that present as well. There’s no doubt the age profile of our team has been well debated and publicised. It’s about making sure we don’t exit senior players too soon and lose that knowledge within the playing group, so it’s important for us to get that balance right.”

–IANS