Fox Cricket experts unanimous on David Warner call, but one glaring omission from Ashes squad predictions

With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy done and dusted, attention shifts ahead to Australia’s winter tour of England.

Pat Cummins’ men will play six Tests across eight weeks in June and July — the World Test Championship final against India at The Oval and the highly-anticipated Ashes series.

The 2019 Ashes series ended as a stalemate, with Australia retaining the coveted urn after a 2-2 draw — the Aussies have not won a Test series in England since 2001.

Australia’s touring squad will be a hot topic over the coming months, and experts have handed down their verdict on who should be on the plane to England.

Despite a recent form slump, all six of our experts agreed that David Warner should open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja in England.

The 36-year-old has passed fifty just once in his 15 most recent Test knocks, while his most recent Ashes tour was a disaster, averaging 9.50 across five Tests as Stuart Broad terrorised the left-hander from around the wicket.

Regardless, there aren’t any openers bashing the door down for selection — with the possible exception of Western Australia’s Cameron Bancroft, who has scored four Sheffield Shield centuries this summer and has prior red-ball experience in England.

Travis Head is expected to slot back into the middle order, pushing Peter Handscomb out of the starting XI. However, despite featuring in all four Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, none of our experts have included Handscomb in their Ashes squads.

The Victorian was picked for the India tour in a horses-for-courses selection, peeling off an unbeaten half-century during Australia’s six-wicket loss in Delhi — but it might be enough to warrant Ashes selection.

Adam Gilchrist and Michael Hussey, proud West Australians, both picked all-rounder Mitchell Marsh as the reserve batter, while Michael Vaughan, Allan Border and Mark Waugh each believed that Bancroft deserved a long-awaited recall.

Meanwhile, Brad Haddin chucked a smokey into his Ashes squad, naming South Australian paceman Spencer Johnson.

The left-armer made his first-class debut last month, taking 6-87 against Victoria in a low-scoring affair at Junction Oval. A couple of weeks later, Johnson claimed 7-47 in South Australia’s five-wicket loss to Queensland at the Gabba.

Earlier this week, Johnson was named in the Australia A squad for next month’s red-ball tour of New Zealand.

“He’s a like for like if something happens to Mitchell Starc,” Haddin said earlier this week.

Adam Gilchrist

Starting XI — David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon

Replacements — Scott Boland, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh

Michael Hussey

Starting XI — David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon

Replacements — Josh Inglis, Scott Boland, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Marsh

Michael Vaughan

Starting XI — David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon

Replacements — Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Todd Murphy, Lance Morris

Allan Border

Starting XI — David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon

Replacements — Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Todd Murphy, Lance Morris

Mark Waugh

Starting XI — David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon

Replacements — Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Todd Murphy, Lance Morris

Brad Haddin

Starting XI — David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon

Replacements — Scott Boland, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Spencer Johnson, Josh Inglis