Follow UsAustralia have named an unchanged 14-man squad for the second Test of the Ashes at The Gabba in Brisbane, meaning both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood remain unavailable. Stand-in skipper Steve Smith will retain the captaincy, with the rest of the squad unchanged from the Perth Test.
Head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed Hazlewood is still working through rehab from a hamstring strain and “is expected to take some part in the series,” but not yet for Brisbane. Cummins, sidelined with a lumbar stress injury since the West Indies tour in July, has resumed bowling and travelled with the squad. Still, selectors have opted to wait until the last moment before committing to his inclusion.
McDonald emphasised that while Hazlewood and Cummins remain part of the wider squad, rushing them back could risk further injury. “We’ll join the dots when we see him again … the intensity and ball speed were there, but it’s about building resilience,” he said earlier.
For now, the team will rely on the existing bowling battery headed by Mitch Starc, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett. They’ll be positive that the grey skies and pink-ball conditions at Gabba might offer further opportunities for seamers.
Australia are already leading the series 1-0 after winning the Perth Test in just two days and flattening out England in a game where wickets fell at the rate of knots, except in the fourth innings where Travis Head helped them chase a 200-plus target with ease. The second Test will begin on December 4.
Australia squad for the second Test
Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster