Former Australia Test captain Michael Clarke on Tuesday questioned national selectors’ decision to pick Marcus Harris for Australia’s Test tour of Pakistan in March after the opener was dropped during this summer’s Ashes series.
According to Fox Cricket, the selectors’ patience with Harris finally ran out this summer as the “opener was axed” for the Hobart Test after averaging 25.29 from 14 matches.
However, the cricket board chose him for Australia’s 18-man squad to tour Pakistan next month as back-up for David Warner and the man who replaced him, Usman Khawaja.
Clarke voiced his concern hours before the squad announcement, when it was reported Harris would tour.
“Where is he going to bat?” Clarke said on Big Sports Breakfast. “You’re not going to open with him. Khawaja is going to.
“You’re only going to take one spare batsman. You’re not going to take an opening batter as your spare batter, that makes no sense to me at all.”
Clarke was of the view that Khawaja’s versatility to bat anywhere inside the top six means selectors may view the left-hander as their main form of cover.
The former cricket said there should be another middle-order option instead of an opener even if Khawaja is Australia’s No.1 choice to open the batting alongside Warner.
“If Uzzie is opening the batting now, I’d be selecting my spare batter as someone very good against spin bowling,” Clarke said.
Among other players Mitchell Marsh has been selected in the squad, and is a strong player of spin, but is considered an all-rounder option rather than a specialist batter.
Of Marsh’s 55 Test innings, all but seven have come batting at number six or lower, while only three have come higher than number five, where Travis Head will bat.
Meanwhile, still missing out is 24-year-old Will Pucovski after an extended lay-off due to concussion.
Clarke believes that Pucovski is “not even close” to returning for Australia.
“He’s 12 months at least away,” Clarke said.
“I reckon the rest of this season and all of next season before we have a conversation about him.
“I don’t think he can be even close to international cricket, there’s way too much risk now.”
The tour — which will be Australia’s first in 24 years — is set to start and end in Rawalpindi with the opening Test to be played from March 4-8 and the four white-ball matches to be played from March 29 to April 5, a statement from the PCB said.
Australia last toured Pakistan in 1998 when Mark Taylor’s team recorded a 1-0 win from the three-Test series.
The tour will comprise three Tests, three ODIs, and one T20I.
The change in the first Test venue means that the second Test will be played in Karachi from 12-16 March and the third in Lahore from 21-25 March.
