ADELAIDE, Australia — Australia Tuesday turned to James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile to replenish their diminishing fast bowling ranks for next week’s opening Test against the West Indies.
Selectors named the pace duo in a 12-man squad for the Dec. 10-14 Hobart Test following a stress fracture foot injury to Mitchell Starc on top of the recent retirement of Mitchell Johnson.
The panel is also mulling the pressing need to give Adelaide Test man-of-the-match Josh Hazlewood some time off to refresh as Australia faces a three-Test series against the West Indies and two return Tests in New Zealand in February.
Pattinson, 25, played the last of his 13 Tests against South Africa in March 2014 with his career stalled by chronic back and hamstring issues. Coulter-Nile, 28, has been included despite not playing any domestic Sheffield Shield matches so far this summer because of a shoulder injury.
He should have bowled for Western Australia last weekend but was given a one-match ban for showing dissent at an umpire’s decision in the domestic second XI league, meaning he has not played first-class cricket since the Sheffield Shield final in March.
“We’ve had our eye on Nathan for a long time. We’ve been very pleased with the way he’s played when he has played,” selector Rod Marsh told reporters. Senior quick Peter Siddle, who has become even more important to Australia’s plans with the pressures on the pace brigade, experienced back problems during last weekend’s day-night third Test against New Zealand in Adelaide.
As a precaution selectors have placed Scott Boland on standby in case of further injury problems heading into the Test.
Marsh spoke of the conundrum facing selectors over Hazlewood’s recent workload. He bowled a total of 119 overs in the recent New Zealand series. “It will be very difficult for Josh Hazlewood to get through six Tests in a summer and then go to New Zealand and play two more and we also have a one-day series against India,” Marsh said.
“So we’ll see how he’s tracking, if he’s strong and he’s fit.”
Australia: David Warner, Joe Burns, Steve Smith (captain), Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, Mitch Marsh, Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, Nathan Lyon, Nathan Coulter-Nile.
More day-night Tests
Cricket Australia said Tuesday it will schedule more day-night Test matches following the overwhelming success of the recent trial against New Zealand staged under lights in Adelaide.
A total attendance of 123,736 fans over three days at Adelaide Oval along with 3.19 million prime-time viewers watching free-to-air television coverage on Sunday’s final day confirmed the strong acceptance of the day-night Test played with a pink ball, CA Chief Executive James Sutherland said.
Sutherland has spoken of plans to schedule day-night Tests when South Africa and Pakistan tour here late next year.
