What will our XI look like for the first test of the 2027 Ashes

[happy_eagle]

With the Ashes secured for another two years, it will be interesting to see and predict what side we will roll up with to the first test in 2027 over in England. Fair to say that a large chunk of the current squad will not be around

From the current squad and their ages in 2027

Head (33)
Weatherald (33)
Labuschange (33)
Khawaja (41)
Green (28)
Carey (36)
Inglis (32)
Cummins (34)
Starc (37)
Lyon (40)
Boland (38)

Webster (34)
Neser (37)
Doggett (33)
Hazlewood (36)
Smith (38)

From that list, I would realistically only expect Head, Weatherald, Labuschagne, Green, Inglis and Cummins to be around in 2027.

I would expect/hope that in the next two years we see development from younger players like Connolly and Konstas to work into the batting lineup.

Complete guess, but at this stage I'd go with something like


Konstas (22)
Weatherald (33)
Green (28)
Connolly (24)
Head (33)
Renshaw (31)
Inglis (32)
Cummins (34)
F.O'Neill (26)
J.Richardson (31)
T.Murphy (27)


Webster (34)
Labuschagne (33)
McSweeney (28)
Rocchiccioli (30)

Who else do we think will be on the radar in 2027 ?

 

[Snarls Barkley]

It’s only 18 months away, I’m not sure the changes will be as drastic as that, although there is a crazy amount of cricket that might claim a couple of older bodies

Going to be a pretty hectic period of cricket before the Ashes

Bangladesh home (2 Tests) - August
South Africa away (3 Tests) - late September
New Zealand home (4 Tests) - December/January
India away (5 Tests) - January/February
England home (1 Test) - March

Decent chance we’ll be in the World Test Championship final before then as well

 

[samFFC]

It’s only 18 months away, I’m not sure the changes will be as drastic as that, although there is a crazy amount of cricket that might claim a couple of older bodies

Going to be a pretty hectic period of cricket before the Ashes

Bangladesh home (2 Tests) - August
South Africa away (3 Tests) - late September
New Zealand home (4 Tests) - December/January
India away (5 Tests) - January/February
England home (1 Test) - March

Decent chance we’ll be in the World Test Championship final before then as well

Afghanistan in Aug 2026 too.

 

[samFFC]

With the Ashes secured for another two years, it will be interesting to see and predict what side we will roll up with to the first test in 2027 over in England. Fair to say that a large chunk of the current squad will not be around

From the current squad and their ages in 2027

Head (33)
Weatherald (33)
Labuschange (33)
Khawaja (41)
Green (28)
Carey (36)
Inglis (32)
Cummins (34)
Starc (37)
Lyon (40)
Boland (38)

Webster (34)
Neser (37)
Doggett (33)
Hazlewood (36)
Smith (38)

From that list, I would realistically only expect Head, Weatherald, Labuschagne, Green, Inglis and Cummins to be around in 2027.

I would expect/hope that in the next two years we see development from younger players like Connolly and Konstas to work into the batting lineup.

Complete guess, but at this stage I'd go with something like


Konstas (22)
Weatherald (33)
Green (28)
Connolly (24)
Head (33)
Renshaw (31)
Inglis (32)
Cummins (34)
F.O'Neill (26)
J.Richardson (31)
T.Murphy (27)


Webster (34)
Labuschagne (33)
McSweeney (28)
Rocchiccioli (30)

Who else do we think will be on the radar in 2027 ?

Carey keeps as long as he is fit and able. Should be there in 2027.

Kellaway and Hunt also a chance for opening slot.

If possible, would prefer McSweeney or Renshaw at first drop rather than Green, if Marnus loses his spot at 3.

Fergus a chance, but Doggett done nothing wrong.

 

[happy_eagle]

Carey keeps as long as he is fit and able. Should be there in 2027.

Kellaway and Hunt also a chance for opening slot.

If possible, would prefer McSweeney or Renshaw at first drop rather than Green, if Marnus loses his spot at 3.

Fergus a chance, but Doggett done nothing wrong.

Kellaway a good shout. As is Oliver Peake, but he still needs a few more years of development.

Doggett I feel like doesn't have a tonne of upside. At 31, I feel like what he delivers now (which is OK) is what he will deliver in a couple of years. O'Neill has the chance of going to a higher level imo.

 

[Linda Lovelace]

You're going too far with how many changes you think we will make.

Smith, Lyon and Starc all seem like they will need to be dragged out of the team kicking and screaming and it will take a year of poor performances for the selectors to pull the trigger on them. They will still be getting selected for a period even after they are cooked.

Lyon could succumb to age and injuries, but he also has a lot of distance on his competitors. Even at 40 I can see him still in the team.

Carey is a professional and will likely still be around too.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Boland probably doesn't get there at 38, and I'd be surprised if Haze does for injury reasons. Khawaja will retire. Lyon has spoken openly about wanting to get to the next Ashes in England then having a farewell home series after that.

You'd assume Jyhe, O'Neil, with maybe a couple of the younger quicks like Buckinham are in play for Boland.

The rest will all get there

 

[cricketnut14]

It’s only 18 months away, I’m not sure the changes will be as drastic as that, although there is a crazy amount of cricket that might claim a couple of older bodies

Going to be a pretty hectic period of cricket before the Ashes

Bangladesh home (2 Tests) - August
South Africa away (3 Tests) - late September
New Zealand home (4 Tests) - December/January
India away (5 Tests) - January/February
England home (1 Test) - March

Decent chance we’ll be in the World Test Championship final before then as well

massive amount of test cricket from august to the following august if you also count the ashes.

some of the players may well have played their last aussie summer - usman, hazlewood ? , lyon ? (now with an injury)

where will some of these players draw the line and finish up:
3 tough tours on the horizon where we haven't won for a while in south africa, india & england.

do some of them want one more aussie summer, or maybe push on to india and finish up in the one off 150th anniversary test match back at the MCG. then if they play that and we've qualified for the WTC final - do they essentially finish the season off so to speak (in AFL terms and play the grand final. then the WTC final will also be the warm up test for the ashes as they'll already be in england. then it's a case of do they wanna come back and finish in australia.

the under 35's will be fine, if they can hold their spot/break into the team when opportunities come.

one thing is for certain, we won't have 8 x 35+ year olds come the next ashes.
some of Khawaja, Smith, Carey, Neser, Starc, Lyon, Boland, Hazelwood won't be about.

 

[big_e]

Afghanistan in Aug 2026 too.

Aren't we still boycotting them?

 

[Gough]

I suspect Lyon might go out Ben Hart

Ben Hart

Age

51

Ht

190cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.0

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

14.0

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

4.4

4star

M

2.2

3star

T

0.8

3star

style where he barely misses a game in years before a few injuries in a row put paid to it all.

 

[MisterMarcus]

This time in 2023, surely nobody would have predicted Konstas, McSweeney, Connolly, Webster, Weatherald or Doggett as being in an Australian XI.

Guarantee there will be at least a couple of completely unexpected names - new guys bursting on the scene, Good Honest Player types who take the next step, journeymen who have late-career boom, etc - around the squad in 2027.

 

[Aussie_boy]

Would have to be a fair fall off for Carey to not be playing in 18 months.

The only three I could say with any confidence will likely not be there are Hazlewood, Khawaja and probably Lyon. Would've said Smith too but seems like he's determined to stick around longer than what was probably originally planned.

Renshaw, Kellaway, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Carey, Bartlett, Cummins, Starc, Murphy

Around the mark- Peake, Webster, Clayton, McSweeney, Inglis, Philippe, Doggett, Morris, Richardson, Vidler

 

[cricketnut14]

Aren't we still boycotting them?

yeah the bangladesh test series is being moved from march 2027 to accomodate for the 150th anniversary test v england and now taking place at the time we were tour afghanistan

 

[Blue1980]

When you look at the age of the current side and what we have in reserve, I think England should beat us pretty comfortably in England in 2027, considering we’ve drawn series over there with better sides than we took over there in 2019 and 2023.

Still a long way to go, but seems a perfect storm will be brewing in 18-20 months of current greats about to retire and/or past their best/injury prone.

To win or merely be as competitive as 2019 and 2023 we would need most of the following:

• Head continues to be a destructive batsmen
• Cummins continues to be world class
• Carey still at or close to his peak
• Green to be a dependable consistent bat who can average 40 plus
• a bowler under 35 like Jhye Richardson can stay fit and perform at a similar level to the current crop
• A spinner who can at the very least contain the run rate (probably a Murphy/kuhnemann)
• Emergenc of another batsmen to at least be capable of averaging 35 or so

 

[Blackhawk42]

Would have to be a fair fall off for Carey to not be playing in 18 months.

The only two I could say with any confidence will likely not be there are Hazlewood, Khawaja and probably Lyon. Would've said Smith too but seems like he's determined to stick around longer than what was probably originally planned.

Renshaw, Kellaway, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Carey, Bartlett, Cummins, Starc, Murphy

Around the mark- Peake, Webster, Clayton, McSweeney, Inglis, Philippe, Doggett, Morris, Richardson, Vidler

Bartlett.

Gun to my head right now, I'd say our bowling line-up will be Cummins, Richardson, Bartlett and whichever spinner is preferred at the time.

That's only if Starc isn't still firing them in. Good chance that he is IMO.

 

[katana]

can't see lyon making it. soft tissue injury in such an innocuous way at age 38 says the end is nigh.

i think kuhnemann will go well.

 

[swanny1234]

Kellaway
Renshaw/Weatherald
Marnus
McSweeney
Head (c)
Carey
Green/Connolly
Cummins
Starc
Richardson
Rocchicioli

 

[Art Vandelay_]

2026 is a massive year for all our state players.
2027 has 150th anniversary test in March. Then the Ashes away and not long after that the ODI World Cup in Africa.

Massive 12 months for guys to stake claims for spots.
Makes the 2026 county season important for lots of players too.

 

[KennyHuntersBlues]

When you look at the age of the current side and what we have in reserve, I think England should beat us pretty comfortably in England in 2027, considering we’ve drawn series over there with better sides than we took over there in 2019 and 2023.

Still a long way to go, but seems a perfect storm will be brewing in 18-20 months of current greats about to retire and/or past their best/injury prone.

To win or merely be as competitive as 2019 and 2023 we would need most of the following:

• Head continues to be a destructive batsmen
• Cummins continues to be world class
• Carey still at or close to his peak
• Green to be a dependable consistent bat who can average 40 plus
• a bowler under 35 like Jhye Richardson can stay fit and perform at a similar level to the current crop
• A spinner who can at the very least contain the run rate (probably a Murphy/kuhnemann)
• Emergenc of another batsmen to at least be capable of averaging 35 or so

Except England’s 2 best players and the ones they rely on to win them games Stokes and Root will both be 36 also

 

[Blue1980]

Except England’s 2 best players and the ones they rely on to win them games Stokes and Root will both be 36 also

Yeah but they will probably still be there and the rest of the side should still be there too, and in English conditions too.

I wouldn’t put it beyond us to be competitive but I just see a perfect storm for us of guys either having just retired, playing past their best and newer guys not having fully established themselves as yet.

 

[Yoda_]

Disappointing thing with the bowling front is the relative untried nature of this crop

Bowlers under 27 are pretty thin at the higher level?

 

[Around the Wicket]

Depends if England are still producing roads for Bazball or revert back to the more bowler friendly way of life.. if they revert back Fergus O'Neill is a must.

I would guess it'll be something like.

Konstas
Renshaw
Labs
Smith
Head
Green
Carey
Starc
Cummins
O'Neill
Rocchicioli

I say the following home summer would be the end of Starc, Carey, Smith, so it'll be quite the rebuild following.

 

[Around the Wicket]

Disappointing thing with the bowling front is the relative untried nature of this crop

Bowlers under 27 are pretty thin at the higher level?

means nothing... when Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins all got a chance none were overly proven... 3 bowlers will make the spots there own, the spinner role is always the hardest one to fill, Lyons criminally under rated.

 

[happy_eagle]

I'm not sure that Starc will be playing Test Cricket at 37.

McGrath and Lee both retired from tests at 36.
Johnson was 34
Gillespie was 31 when he played his last test (last first class match at 33)
Siddle was 35

So in terms of modern fast bowlers, Starc would have to be breaking some records to still be performing at a high enough level and have his body hold together at 37.

 

[Around the Wicket]

Gillespie was 31 when he played his last test (last first class match at 33)

That wasn't by choice he just turned into a shit bowler.