Cummins tracking for Brisbane after missing 15-man first Test squad

After months of speculation, chairman of selectors George Bailey has answered the key questions as Australia's 15-man squad for the first Ashes Test was revealed.

With the first Test against England just over two weeks away, players learned their fate at 12pm AEDT.

Check out Australia's official squad for the first Test in Perth below as well as Bailey's responses to some key selection questions.

AUSTRALIA'S ASHES SQUAD

Usman Khawaja
Jake Weatherald
Marnus Labuschagne
Steve Smith
Travis Head
Cam Green
Beau Webster
Alex Carey
Mitch Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Scott Boland
Nathan Lyon
Sean Abbott
Josh Inglis
Brendan Doggett

GEORGE BAILEY ON JAKE WEATHERALD’S REACTION TO MAKING HIS MAIDEN TEST SQUAD

“Most guys are pretty calm about it, you’ll have to ask him how it was on the inside.

“But we’ve been sort of chatting to Jake, he’s been quite a few Australia A teams and there’s been a lot of communication with him throughout the summer.

The feedback has always been just to keep doing it his way. What’s attractive to us is that he scores at a nice rate, he puts bad balls away, he's looking to score, he's aggressive without being over the top, it's just the way he plays the game.

“So, my message to him was just to continue being him, and to enjoy the experience.”

GEORGE BAILEY ON PAT CUMMINS' POTENTIAL SECOND TEST RETURN

“I hope so (that he’ll return for the second Test).

“He bowled yesterday and he'll bowl again today, so all reports are that's still tracking and if not the second Test, then the third.

The two things we’ve seen are he’s scoring runs and having fun."

GEORGE BAILEY ON MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE OPENING OR BATTING AT 3

“We obviously had the made the decision to leave him out of the team, in the West Indies but he’s always been part of the squad.

“What we've seen is runs, time at the crease and I think there’s an energy there and a method that I think is really attractive.

“But as to the actual changes, some of the technical, training and some of the approaches that he's, that he's made are great, but at the end of the day the thing we like is the runs.

“In terms of the actual XI and where he’ll bat, that will play out, I appreciate everyone wants the XI.

“It’s the 5th of November and the game is on the 21st, you don’t need to name your team until the toss, but I don’t think it’ll get to that.”

GEORGE BAILEY ON WHETHER CAM GREEN IS USED AS AN ALL-ROUNDER OR BATTER

“The exact number (he'll bowl in the upcoming Shield game) I think is 15 to 20 overs.

“In this game I imagine he'll hit that, and that's pretty close to what you sort of need from your all-rounder, and then obviously what are we still three weeks away from that first Test? So, continue to build on that.

“He has done (played as just a batter), but I’m hoping that won’t be an issue because he'll return to the bowling crease and that I mean there's been a long build for Cam.”

GEORGE BAILEY ON SAM KONSTAS

"I feel for Sammy. At the moment, if he farts it’s a headline. Whatever he does there is immense scrutiny. He’s been on Boxing Day Tests he’s been on tours, wee like the skillset there and in the long run we will build on it. It’s not linear. The message is just to keep it simple. Bat for as long as you can for NSW."

11:25am Konstas set to be snubbed

Not much has gone right for Sam Konstas this year.

In what was considered his final audition to make the squad, Konstas was dismissed for just 10 after leaving one on middle stump in the last round of the Shield.

Konstas showed poor judgement in NSW's clash against QLD and has made just 122 runs in his six Sheffield Shield outings.

His scores leave him 28th on the run-scorers’ list.

Since scoring an impressive century for Australia A back in September, Konstas has managed to record scores of just four, 14, 40, zero, 53, 20 and 10.

Who opens against England later this month has been the topic of an ongoing debate since Australia lost the World test Championship to South Africa in June.

We will find out very soon.

In anticipation, Gerard Whateley named his 15-man squad ahead of the November 21 opener in Perth.

“In my 15-man squad is Jake Weatherald - I’m honouring Shield performances from the start of last season,” he said on SEN.

“The leading run scorer with the capacity to tick the scoreboard along. He didn’t make the century in the first three rounds that I would have liked, but the 94 is enough to settle the debate.

“I wouldn’t quibble either way though if they went for Matt Renshaw. But my squad has Weatherald in it.

“The rest of the batting is straightforward, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne - who is in rich form, well done to him, great response to being dropped - Steve Smith, Travis Head, both Cam Green and Beau Webster are in the squad, but only one would ever play in my starting XI. That decision doesn’t need to be made yet.

“Alex Carey is the keeper. For now there’s no Pat Cummins so the bowling unit is Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon.

“We need two reserve quicks. I still have Michael Neser as the next in line. I expect him to play a Test across the Sumer. My next man will be Brendan Doggett who took 11 wickets in a Shield Final and last week a six-for in Western Australia.

“That’s 14. If we’re stretching to 15 that’s an extra batter, a concussion sub and a weapon to potentially deploy later in the series. I’m having Mitch Marsh.

“You just never know when his hitting might prove decisive. Marsh has twice parachuted into Ashes series and made centuries. I’m having that shot in the chamber even though most will pick Josh Inglis - and I certainly won’t argue the toss.”

Whateley’s squad

Usman Khawja
Jake Weatherald
Marnus Labuschagne
Steve Smith
Travis Head
Cam Green
Beau Webster
Alex Carey
Mitch Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Scott Boland
Nathan Lyon
Michael Neser
Brendan Doggett
Mitch Marsh

Injecting some youth into the squad, Bharat Sundaresan included 24-year-old Fergus O'Neill.

"O’Neill has that extra spunk and star in the making vibe," he said on SEN. "Neser will probably play ahead of him but with a 15-man squad it’s important to have someone young.

"Weatherald just has better red-ball runs under his belt to Renshaw. Yes, he made the 100 but if they go with Renshaw it’s a Bazball pick, not the style of play but it’s something about him and they way he plays.

"Jake has more runs and he has done everything right that you want from a Test opener in the last 12 months.

"The squad wont give us all the answers, Green or Webster will be the big doubt. From what I have heard, they are keen for Marnus at three and Green at six. It comes down to Green and his bowling."

Sundaresan's squad

Usman Khawaja
Jake Weatherald
Marnus Labuschagne
Steve Smith
Travis Head
Cam Green
Alex Carey
Mitch Starc
Scott Boland Nathan Lyon
Josh Hazlewood
Brendan Doggett
Beau Webster
Josh Inglis
Fergus O’Neill