Australia have added uncapped leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson to their squad for their upcoming tour of Bangladesh, opting for spin over pace for their first Test series in the country since 2006.
Swepson joins the original 13-player squad that was announced in June for the two-Test series, which begins in Mirpur on August 27 before moving to Chittagong in early September.
The 23-year-old is the third frontline spinner in the squad, alongside Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar, and his selection comes after his shock inclusion in Australia’s squad that toured India earlier this year.
The announcement of Australia's touring party for Bangladesh two months ago came with the proviso that an additional bowler would be added to replace injured quick Mitchell Starc.
But with Josh Hazlewood, Patrick Cummins and James Pattinson already included, selectors have opted to boost their spin stocks for a series that is expected to favour slow bowlers.
"We are comfortable with the fast-bowling stocks we have in the squad so have opted to add an additional spinner given the conditions we are likely to face in Bangladesh," said selector Trevor Hohns.
"Mitchell is a very exciting young leg-spinner who we think will benefit immensely from further experience in the sub-continent."
Selectors had planned to announce Starc's replacement following the scheduled Australia A tour of South Africa in July and August, where recent Test squad members Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers and Swepson were set to lead the bowling attack.
But the recently concluded pay dispute and consequent abandonment of the A tour denied those bowlers a chance to put their name forward, meaning Swepson has been selected despite having not played any cricket since the end of the KFC Big Bash League last January.
His most recent first-class game came in early December last year.
The decision by the playing group for the A squad not to tour South Africa means Swepson, Agar, Usman Khawaja and Hilton Cartwright will all head to Bangladesh having not played any cricket since last summer.
It also cost the likes of Bird and Sayers another chance to impress selectors ahead of the Bangladesh tour, the Ashes this summer and Test series in South Africa early next year.
But Bird says the right call was made as the players showed a united front during the pay dispute.
"It would have been nice to get another opportunity to push my claims for higher honours, but it was important from the playing group perspective that we stuck together with all the other players and did what was right for that," Bird told The Unplayable Podcast.
"So it was completely understandable why we didn't go, but it was a bit disappointing that we couldn't go over there and push our claims."
Australia's preparations for the Bangladesh tour will ramp up next week when the squad heads to Darwin for a pre-tour camp before flying to Bangladesh on August 18.
They will play a two-day tour match in Fattulah on August 22-23 before the first Test on August 27.
Source: Cricket.com.au