{"id":858891,"date":"2026-08-17T21:34:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T21:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/858891\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T21:34:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T21:34:15","slug":"australia-vs-bangladesh-2026-ian-chappell-calls-for-team-to-be-overhauled-ahead-of-second-test-matt-renshaw-jake-weatherald-travis-head-marnus-labuschagne-steve-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/858891\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia vs Bangladesh 2026 | Ian Chappell calls for team to be overhauled ahead of second Test, Matt Renshaw, Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ian Chappell<\/a> believes the chickens have come home to roost and says Australia\u2019s selectors must take their share of the blame following Sunday\u2019s historic home Test defeat to Bangladesh.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you pick the wrong people in the first place, you can get into trouble,\u201d Chappell told\u00a0nine.com.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Marnus Labuschagne blew two chances at the crease to cement his spot in the Test team.\u00a0Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cWith their selections, they\u2019ve shown to me that they don\u2019t understand things very well.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, it\u2019s the selectors who\u2019ve got themselves into this problem. Now they\u2019ve got to try and find a way out.\u00a0But I\u2019m not convinced that they\u2019re good enough to find a way out.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Chappell believes Australia would bounce back and likely win the second Test in Mackay that starts on Saturday, the former Australian Test captain insisted Matthew Renshaw must immediately be recalled to the top of the order at the expense of Jake Weatherald<\/a> as part of a complete rejigging of the top seven, following the nine-wicket defeat in Darwin.<\/p>\n

Chappell also said he would strongly consider recalling Sam Konstas<\/a> to partner Renshaw in a move that would allow Travis Head<\/a> to return to the middle order.<\/p>\n

He also said that selectors didn\u2019t need any more evidence to recognise that Marnus Labuschagne<\/a>, who hasn\u2019t scored a century since Boxing Day 2024, was struggling at No.3. Chappell said it was time selectors urged Steve Smith<\/a> to move up to first drop in the batting order.<\/p>\n

Lastly, Chappell said that it was ridiculous to play Beau Webster as a batting all-rounder at No.7.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s there to make centuries, and you\u2019re batting him at seven. What\u2019s that? That\u2019s bullshit,\u201d Chappell said.<\/p>\n

Australian great Ricky Ponting<\/a> said on Channel 7\u2019s coverage that he would have turned to the nation\u2019s next generation some time ago.<\/p>\n

Not for the first time, Ponting said he would have brought Victorians Campbell Kellaway and Oliver Peake into the squad.<\/p>\n

Kellaway, 23, averages 31.52 from 44 first-class matches while Peake, 19, averages 26 from 14 matches.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ian Chappell believes Australia\u2019s selectors are paying the price for picking the wrong team.\u00a0nna\\zgates<\/p>\n

While the Victorian pair are highly regarded, neither averaged more than 26 during the 2025-26 Sheffield Shield season \u2013 and it\u2019s why Chappell wasn\u2019t convinced they were the answer yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Kellaway and Peake have got talent, but are they ready? I\u2019m not too sure about that,\u201d Chappell said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at their Shield record, averages in the 20s shouldn\u2019t get you into an Australian side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nor does Chappell believe South Australian captain Nathan McSweeney is the answer either, saying: \u201cHe\u2019s not a Test player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their modest outputs last year come at a time when none of Australia\u2019s top 10 scores in the Sheffield Shield averaged more than 37 during the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jake Weatherald is bowled in the second innings.\u00a0Getty Images<\/p>\n

While Queensland batter Matthew Renshaw (499 runs at 49.90) and NSW all-rounder Jack Edwards (414 runs at 51.75) averaged either side of 50, the fact that so many struggled to average over 40 has seen Cricket Australia call for more batting friendly conditions to be prepared by curators for the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n

CA chief of cricket James Allsopp confirmed last week that the second session on each day would be extended by 15 minutes to run for two hours and 15 minutes. The last session will be reduced to one hour and 45 minutes, with the allowances remaining of up to half an hour extra to be added at the end of the day\u2019s play.<\/p>\n

But Chappell didn\u2019t subscribe to the theory that batting had become too difficult in the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other thing you\u2019ve got to look at is Shield cricket rarely has Test match bowlers bowling, so the blokes who are knocking on the door should be piling up runs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I read all this business about the Shield tracks are difficult and so on. But if you\u2019re a good player, you\u2019ll still make some decent runs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calls for Renshaw\u2019s return came after Weatherald once again struggled at the top of the order.<\/p>\n

After managing just one half century in last summer\u2019s Ashes, the left-hander was caught behind for 23 in a dicey first-up innings on a horror first morning for Australia against Bangladesh, where the home side was left reeling at 4-76.<\/p>\n

He then chopped on for a duck in the second innings to leave his Test career hanging by a thread, having averaged just 20.36 from six Tests.<\/p>\n

Chappell said Renshaw, 30, was the obvious replacement for Weatherald despite a tough tour of South Africa looming.<\/p>\n

\"Matthew<\/p>\n

Ian Chappell believes Matt Renshaw should return to the Australian Test team.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

\u201cWeatherald is not a Test player,\u201d Chappell said. \u201cHe should never have been opening the batting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d play Renshaw ahead of Weatherald.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Head scored three centuries at the top of the order last summer against England, Chappell said he thought the back-to-back Allan Border Medallist<\/a> was best suited in the middle order.<\/p>\n

\u201cHead\u2019s a number five. He\u2019s not an opener, really. He would be better pushed back to number five, but I\u2019m not sure they\u2019ve got another opener to come in,\u201d he acknowledged.<\/p>\n

One option Chappell floated was recalling Konstas. The 20-year-old wowed the world on a memorable Boxing Day debut against India in 2024 but has since been brought back to Earth.<\/p>\n

Chappell, however, admitted bringing Konstas back was risky.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ve got him [Renshaw] opening with Konstas, at least you\u2019ve got one senior player there,\u201d Chappell said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sam Konstas is one player who could come in for Australia.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

\u201cKonstas has got to work out how he wants to play it. And if he works that out, then he\u2019s got a chance.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was making a lot of runs in a certain way for New South Wales, so I would say that\u2019s the best way for him to bat.<\/p>\n

\u201cKonstas might be a bit of a risk. But that\u2019s the thing now because they\u2019ve got themselves into trouble, they\u2019re going to have to take a risk if they want to go somewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they stick with what they\u2019ve got, well, they\u2019re just confirming the mistakes they\u2019ve already made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adding to the concerns around the openers is Labuschagne\u2019s continuing rut.<\/p>\n

The Queenslander averaged over 60 in 2022, but his career Test average has dropped to 44 after three straight years of averaging less than 35.<\/p>\n

Labuschagne\u2019s last Test century was against England in Manchester \u2013 some 22 Tests ago.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ian Chappell believes Steve Smith should move up to first drop in the batting order.\u00a0AP<\/p>\n

Chappell said Labuschagne\u2019s lack of intent concerned him as much as his lack of runs, and it\u2019s why he believes Smith should move up one place in the batting order.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, he\u2019s the best player on the Australian side by quite a margin,\u201d Chappell said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the same with Joe Root. Why wasn\u2019t he batting at three for England when they needed him there?<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, Australia needs a number three. Labuschagne\u2019s not playing like a number three, and he\u2019s not playing very well. Smith should have been at number three all along because he\u2019s the best player, and he\u2019s equipped to bat at three.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf his preference is to bat at four, well, that\u2019s too bad, mate. You\u2019re our number three. Smith would succeed at three because he\u2019s a very good player. That\u2019s their other option. Whether Smith will go to three, that\u2019s another matter.\u00a0But those are the tough decisions selectors have got to make, and they\u2019ve got themselves into this mess because they haven\u2019t been very brave, and I don\u2019t think they\u2019re very good.\u201d<\/p>\n

While last week\u2019s Test was just Australia\u2019s second this year, the men\u2019s national side will play 20 Tests in a gruelling international calendar that culminates in next year\u2019s Ashes in England.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ian Chappell believes the chickens have come home to roost and says Australia\u2019s selectors must take their share…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":858892,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,85],"class_list":["post-858891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858891","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=858891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}