'Extremely risky': Ex-Aussie skipper fears selectors are set to make big error with Ashes batting line-up

Former Australian captain Greg Chappell believes the selectors have played it too safe ahead of the opening Ashes Test – and believes they’re about to make a “risk” mistake at the top of the order.

In a column for ESPNcricinfo, Chappell warned that a safety-first selection policy could leave Australia exposed, arguing that the Test squad named for the first Ashes match lacks boldness and forward planning.

“A ship is safe in harbour, but that is not what ships are for,” Chappell wrote. “By anchoring in the harbour of familiarity, Australia’s selectors may have invited the very storm they sought to avoid.”

Chappell said the selectors’ conservative instincts are a symptom of a deeper problem, the lack of young players ready for Test cricket. He pointed to the professionalisation of the domestic game, which he believes has stifled the development of emerging talent.

“The traditional supply line of youngsters has been interrupted,” he wrote. “Players stay in the domestic system longer, playing for states who prioritise winning over producing Australian players.”

The result, Chappell argues, is the oldest Australian Test team to take the field in nearly a century. With Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland all on the wrong side of 33, he warned of a painful transition when that generation retires.

“Unless a handful of under-25s are going to be debuting in the next six to 12 months, we are going to have a regeneration problem,” he wrote.

Turning his attention to the first Test, Chappell said Perth Stadium’s unique pace and bounce should have inspired a more daring selection.

Despite specialist opener Jake Weatherald’s inclusion in the squad, Chappell expects selectors to push Marnus Labuschagne to the top of the order to make room for both Cameron Green and Beau Webster.

“Opening with Labuschagne is extremely risky,” Chappell wrote. “He should bat at three, where he has been prolific. The fact that he’s being considered as an opener suggests the selectors do not have a specialist they trust.”

Chappell fears such tinkering could derail Labuschagne’s recent return to form, warning that moving him up risks short-circuiting his return to Test cricket by batting him out of position.

The former captain said he preferred WA allrounder Mitch Marsh at the top of the order, not only because of his familiarity with the local conditions but also his ability to handle fast bowling and contribute with the ball.

“It would have been a left-field choice,” Chappell said. “But this is a venue where he has an advantage over all other candidates. He grew up in Perth so the bounce would not worry him; he is one of the best players of pace in the country.”

With England expected to unleash both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood on Perth’s lively deck, Chappell warned that the Australians’ ageing top order could be put under the pump early in the series.

“Very few people enjoy batting against real pace,” he said. “Normally it’s one or two quicks and then the pace drops off. England might field three or four who all get it through at 140kph. That will get your attention.”

He also noted that Khawaja, turning 39 during the series, will be Australia’s oldest opener since Lindsay Hassett in 1953, a statistic that underlines the team’s reliance on experience rather than succession planning.

Ultimately, Chappell believes the selectors’ hesitation to take bold decisions has boxed them into a corner. What looks like prudence, he argues, may actually be the riskier path.

“They have shied away from bold calls, leaving themselves no option but the conservative line,” he wrote. “They missed an opportunity to lay down the gauntlet at one of the world’s unique venues. And they are actually taking a huge risk by playing batters out of position.

“Being risk-averse is not being risk-free. Perth demanded courage. The Ashes demand it.”

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