Former Australian Test opener Michael Hussey has urged national selectors to pick specialist opener Cameron Bancroft to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order this summer.
And he says newly appointed full-time Western Australia Sheffield Shield captain Sam Whiteman, Queensland’s Matt Renshaw and Victoria’s Marcus Harris should also be in the conversation.
But Hussey doesn’t expect the selectors to take any notice — tipping Khawaja, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Cam Green before they “figure out the order as they go”.
“I would put Bangers in there,” Hussey told The West Australian.
“I feel like Cam Green and Mitch Marsh should be fighting for the same spot as the all-rounder.
“They are obviously pretty keen to get Cam Green in there and play as much cricket as he can in that middle order or batting at No. 4. So they have shown their hand there and Mitch Marsh is just playing unbelievable cricket.
“But I felt like Bancroft deserved a chance (last summer) because he had scored the most number of runs in shield cricket for a number of years, not just six months or a year. I felt for him.
“You look at Sam Whiteman’s performances over a few years for WA has been phenomenal as well. Marcus Harris is another, even Renshaw is a bloody good player.
“I am a bit biased, obviously, being a West Australian.”
Green is believed to be touch and go to play the first Test — in Perth from November 22 — as staff await scans on a back injury.
Hussey believes he would squeeze out a career opener if fit and picked.
“The selectors obviously want Green, he is in there somewhere, which probably squeezes out Bancroft, Renshaw, Whiteman,” he said.
“And then they will just figure it out. Whether it is Steve Smith opening, whether it is Marnus. It is not what I’d do, but it is what they want to do.
“They want to pick the six best players and they will just figure out the order as they go.”
WA openers Bancroft (778 runs at 48.62) and Whiteman (770 at 40.52) were ranked two and three for runs scored in the 2023-24 shield season, with their title defence opening on Tuesday against Queensland at the WACA.
Green is almost certain to miss the opener with injury.
Hussey, who made his Test debut as an opener aged 30, described batting at the top of the order as a “unique skill”.
“It is not that easy to just say to someone who bats at five or six ‘Oh, you can go up and opening the batting’. It is bloody hard work,” Hussey said.
“They might say ‘but he does it in white ball cricket’. I can assure you white ball cricket is completely different to opening in Test cricket. I don’t like that argument. I think they need more of a specialist in there.”
Hussey would return Smith to his “rightful place” at No. 4.
“I feel like Steve Smith is better suited in the middle order,” he said.
“I feel like he assesses the situation better than anyone else in how you need to play. In the middle order you need to control the innings that little bit more.
“Plus he has got a unique technique. He moves around a lot and maybe is not as suited to facing the new ball at the top of the order where the ball is going to be moving around a lot.
“He has been our best player for a long time. I am still not convinced about Green at three.
“Keep Labuchagne at three. If you start moving too many guys around around … I just don’t like batting people out of their natural position where they have performed.”
Green scored a match-winning 174 not out against New Zealand in February at No. 4, while Head has been coming at at five, despite opening in white-ball cricket.
Labuschagne opened early in his first-class career.
National coach Andrew McDonald revealed a month ago selectors were still weighing up top order against India this summer with the West Test opening five Tests on November 22-26.
But his preference was for the incumbent top six get first crack against an Indian squad Australia has not beaten in their previous four Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
Smith, 35, was elevated to the opening spot following David Warner’s retirement last summer for mixed returns. He carried his bat for 91no in a narrow defeat to West Indies at the Gabba before averaging 12.75 in four innings in New Zealand.
India is top of the World Test Championship, propelled by a skilled pace attack with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj.
