NSW name Smith, Starc for round two Shield blockbuster | cricket.com.au

by Admin
October 16, 2024

Find all the Shield team news as a host of Test stars prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series

A stack of Australia’s best men’s cricketers will be in action around the country as preparation for the five-Test series against India ramps up.

New South Wales have confirmed Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith will join Nathan Lyon in their side to face Victoria in a blockbuster clash at the MCG.

Mitch Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey are others expected to be named for the round of matches beginning Sunday.

Return to this page to find all the squads as they are named by the states over the coming days.

Sheffield Shield, round two: 20-23 October

Victoria v NSW, MCG, Melbourne

Victoria squad: to be named

NSW squad: Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards, Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Jack Nisbet, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc will play their first Sheffield Shield matches in more than three years as NSW named a trio of Test stars for their blockbuster round two clash against Victoria.

Smith and Starc are confirmed starters for a rare first-class appearance for their state beginning Sunday at the MCG, joining Test teammate Nathan Lyon as they ramp up their preparations for this summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

While Lyon collected 5-47 and 3-94 in the Blues’ drawn Shield opener with South Australia last week, Smith and Starc haven’t featured in red-ball cricket for their state since the early 2021.

Smith’s batting position for NSW was set to be a point of intrigue during the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield season until national men’s selection chair George Bailey revealed the right-hander would revert to a middle-order role during the upcoming Test summer.

That’s left a vacancy at the top of Australia’s batting line-up after allrounder Cameron Green was ruled out for the summer to undergo back surgery.

It’s seen Smith’s 19-year-old NSW teammate Sam Konstas rocket into the selection conversation after striking twin centuries in their season opener. Victorian opener Marcus Harris and Western Australia’s Cameron Bancroft are also in the frame for a Test recall.

Australian white-ball seamer Sean Abbott and former Test quick Jackson Bird have also been included in the Blues’ squad for the first time this season with the former overcoming a hamstring niggle sustained during last month’s limited-overs tour of the UK.

NSW said Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were not considered for the Shield match but were “likely to play” in One-Day Cup fixture that follows against Victoria at the Junction Oval next Friday.

Victoria are yet to announce their squad for round two but fringe Test quick Scott Boland and white-ball superstar Glenn Maxwell are expected to be included.

Boland sat out the Vics’ round one draw with Tasmania due to a lingering knee complaint while Maxwell scored 14 and claimed 1-27 in a second XI match this week in his first match of the home summer following the UK tour.

Captain Will Sutherland is also set to return after being managed last week following a second straight winter overcoming a back stress fracture.

“Cricket Australia still want him to play some red-ball cricket, I think he’s still an option for the tour of Sri Lanka, so they want him to be playing against the red ball,” Victoria men’s coach Chris Rogers said of Maxwell.

“We’ve still got a lot of young players who are playing and any time you get to throw in someone with that experience to talk about batting and fielding and strategy, that’s great for us as well.”