Tasmanian Tim Paine has been recalled to the Test side after more than seven years in the wilderness.
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The Australian selectors – including Mark Waugh, who will appear on Friday at a sportsmen’s luncheon in Launceston – pulled one of the biggest shocks ahead of the first Ashes Test starting next week.
As first revealed by Fairfax Media on Thursday night, Paine, Shaun Marsh and the uncapped West Australian Cameron Bancroft have been named in a 13-man squad released by Cricket Australia on Friday morning.
Bancroft has come from the clouds to replace the out-of-form Matt Renshaw, Marsh unseated Glenn Maxwell for the number six spot while wicketkeepers Matthew Wade and Peter Nevill both lost out to Paine.
Paine sensationally has not been keeping for Tasmania since before Wade’s return to his home state after a decade playing for Victoria.
Gloveman Jake Doran was preferred last season during the Tigers’ Sheffield Shield campaign to Paine, who had been on the verge of retirement earlier this year.
The 32-year-old forced his way back into the Test side after scoring a half-century for a Cricket Australia XI against England followed by an unbeaten 71 for the Tigers playing as a specialist batsman in the Shield encounter against Victoria.
With Nevill, Wade and South Australian prospect Alex Carey all failing to pass 50 in their three games, selectors gave Paine the nod to stand behind the stumps.
Paine, however, has kept for Australia as recent as October this year in a Twenty20 international against India.
He will now join Tasmanian teammate Jackson Bird to come back into the Test squad to face England at the Gabba.
- TEST SQUAD: David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers