{"id":256034,"date":"2025-11-01T19:11:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T19:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/256034\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T19:11:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T19:11:14","slug":"mitchell-johnson-australia-could-do-worse-than-recall-specialist-opener-cameron-bancroft-for-the-ashes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/256034\/","title":{"rendered":"Mitchell Johnson: Australia could do worse than recall specialist opener Cameron Bancroft for the Ashes"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than two years ago, I wrote that if Cameron Bancroft missed out on Australia\u2019s 2023 Ashes squad, there\u2019d have to be more to it than cricket.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d piled up nearly 300 more runs than anyone else in the Sheffield Shield, making 945 runs at 59.1, while Marcus Harris made 601 at 37.6. Bancroft wasn\u2019t offered a national contract; Harris was, and it felt like the writing was already on the wall.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to now, as we head into another Ashes series and not much has changed. The faces are a little different, the rumours louder, but the problem remains the same: Australia still haven\u2019t settled on a partner for Usman Khawaja at the top of the Test order.<\/p>\n

The 2025\/26 shield season has produced plenty of runs and even more noise, but has anyone forced the selectors\u2019 hand?<\/p>\n

There are familiar names \u2014 Bancroft, Harris, Matt Renshaw, and a few emerging ones, such as Henry Hunt, Jason Sangha, Campbell Kellaway, Jack Clayton, Nathan McSweeney, and Jake Lehmann, all top-five batters and some openers who are scoring runs and have good averages this season.<\/p>\n

But the biggest talking point right now isn\u2019t a specialist opener at all. It\u2019s Marnus Labuschagne. While not yet confirmed, reports of Labuschagne opening with Khawaja come as no surprise. Australia have opted against specialist openers in recent seasons.<\/p>\n

If the selectors decide to recall Labuschagne, I\u2019d rather him at No.3. He has been dropped, asked to go away and work on his game, which he has been doing, scoring two hundreds and leading the runs this shield season. So, for me, the most practical and positive position for him is three for his mindset coming in and for the team\u2019s balance.<\/p>\n

\"MarnusCamera IconMarnus Labuschagne of the Queensland Bulls raises his bat. Credit: Mark Brake\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

I hope him opening isn\u2019t happening and it\u2019s just media hype, because it would be a sign of how uncertain things still are at the top. When you start shuffling world-class players out of position to fill a gap, it\u2019s an admission that no one else has grabbed the spot, and it\u2019s been proven not to work with the Steve Smith opening experiment.<\/p>\n

Bancroft has put his name forward once again with a hundred and a half century for Western Australia this week. Bancroft has stayed fit, stayed focused, and by all accounts, remained one of the most consistent red-ball performers in the country. Yet his name doesn\u2019t seem to gather momentum the way it should.<\/p>\n

Form should be the only currency that counts. If there are personal issues or lingering politics from the past, the fallout from Cape Town in 2018 or his subsequent comments, then those needed to be left behind.<\/p>\n

Bancroft served his time, as many say about Smith, who will start the Ashes as captain. Bancroft is a specialist opener who has shown the ability to make hundreds at shield level throughout his career. Runs are runs.<\/p>\n

If Australia\u2019s top order is still unsettled after all this time, maybe it\u2019s worth revisiting the bloke who\u2019s been scoring mountains of runs for years without fuss or fanfare. Whether selectors admit it or not, Bancroft remains one of the country\u2019s best and most mentally hardened openers in shield cricket.<\/p>\n

\"PERTH,Camera IconPERTH, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 29: Cameron Bancroft of Western Australia celebrates his century during day two of the Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and South Australia at the WACA, on October 29, 2025, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane\/Getty Images) Credit: Paul Kane\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a new generation pushing and their time is coming. Sam Konstas has had a few goes at it, and for him it\u2019s simple: play shield cricket for a year or two and build his game from there.<\/p>\n

Jake Weatherald\u2019s resurgence has been another storyline \u2014 he\u2019s scored heavily and brings an attacking edge that selectors might see as useful in modern Test cricket. If they go with Usman at the top, Weatherall could complement him well as the aggressor.<\/p>\n

Harris is still in the frame too, mainly through experience and continuity. He\u2019s played enough Tests to know the demands of opening, but hasn\u2019t yet turned those chances into a long-term hold on the position.<\/p>\n

Renshaw sits in a similar bracket \u2014 talented, adaptable, and has been on the outer for a while now, but he has had those years in the shield to hone his game for the big stage.<\/p>\n

The talk around Labuschagne opening and Cam Green at three doesn\u2019t quite feel right with Green batting at four for WA, but it\u2019s also a reflection of the mindset with the batting order instead of rewarding consistent performers.<\/p>\n

\"CameronCamera IconCameron Green of Western Australia bats during day four Credit: Paul Kane\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

What this all shows is that Australia\u2019s top order is in transition. David Warner\u2019s retirement left a void that remains unfilled. Khawaja, 39 next month, is holding on.<\/p>\n

I truly believe two new openers are needed before getting to this scenario, but the Ashes and the loss of Pat Cummins\u2019 experience may impact the top-order decisions. It\u2019s time for the next generation to start stepping up soon, and for those consistent performers to get a crack.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fascinating time because the talent pool is deeper than we think. It will always seem like there is nothing coming through when you see veterans close to retirement, and questions are asked about who\u2019s good enough to take over from these guys.<\/p>\n

Labuschagne might be a short-term fix as an opener. Green might flourish at three. But sooner or later, Australia need to reward genuine top-order batsmen who have done the work in shield cricket.<\/p>\n

Until then, it feels like we\u2019re still having the same discussion we did two or three years ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"More than two years ago, I wrote that if Cameron Bancroft missed out on Australia\u2019s 2023 Ashes squad,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":256035,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,588,85,33383],"class_list":{"0":"post-256034","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cricket","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-cricket","11":"tag-sport","12":"tag-sports","13":"tag-the-ashes"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256034\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}