The Ashes is one of the greatest rivalries in the game of cricket. Both England and Australia plan for this tournament well in advance. They try to bring out their best teams and hence, the margin for non-performance is less. It was in 2019 that the previous Ashes took place. A few Aussies, who were a part of the tournament then, are not in the squad right now. In this article, we take a look at six Australian players who were part of the previous Ashes but are not in the squad for the ongoing Ashes.
1) Mitchell Marsh
Mitchell Marsh is one of the Australian players who were part of the previous Ashes but are not in the squad for the ongoing Ashes. Injuries have hampered Marsh’s career and hence, he is not part of the Test team. In fact, his last game was at the Ashes back in 2019.
Since then, the all-rounder has been part of the shorter formats. In the final of the 2021 T20 World Cup, he played a blinder against the Kiwis that helped Australia lift the trophy.
2) Tim Paine
Tim Paine has taken a break from cricket and, hence, is not part of the Ashes Team. Alex Carey has taken Paine’s place in the squad, while Pat Cummins has replaced him as the skipper.
Paine anyways was not in the best of form. While he struggled against India earlier this year, in the 2019 Ashes, he could manage just 180 runs in the five games. His record included just one half-century in that tournament.
3) Matthew Wade
Matthew Wade was Tim Paine’s backup as a wicket-keeper in the 2019 Ashes for Australia. However, as a pure batsman, Wade played all five games in that competition.
In fact, he was the third-highest run-getter for his team. He scored 337 runs, including two centuries. However, he has been struggling for form in whites, and hence, is not part of the team. On the flipside, Wade is finding form in T20 cricket. He looked in good touch at the T20 World Cup and is also doing well in the ongoing Big Bash League.
4) Cameron Bancroft
After the scandal, Cameron Bancroft has found it hard to return to form. In the previous Ashes, he got his chance in two encounters. However, he could make just 44 runs and since then, the batter has not been able to find his way back to the XI.
For a career that started promisingly, it has gone downhill for the player. However, he is still young and does have a chance for a comeback.
5) James Pattinson
Although he wanted to be part of the Ashes, due to an injury issue, Pattinson fell out of contention. The pacer even went on to announce his retirement from international cricket. However, he has mentioned that he would continue operating in domestic cricket.
When Pattinson entered the scene, many saw him as the next big thing in Aussie cricket. The pacer did justice to those predictions with a few solid performances. However, injuries just did not allow him to settle into his career. Hence, he has had to make the tough call to reset the goals for his career.
6) Peter Siddle
Peter Siddle is also one of the Australia players who were part of the previous Ashes but are not in the squad for the ongoing Ashes. The right-arm pacer played three games in the 2019 Ashes and collected 7 wickets.
In December 2019, Siddle announced his retirement from international cricket. Hence, he is not part of the current Ashes Team. Siddle is still active in domestic cricket.
