- Decision was made on the eve of the first Test
Aussie cricket fans have been left seething after popular and reliable all-rounder Beau Webster was left out of the Australian team for the first Ashes Test against England.
The Tasmanian made his Test debut earlier this year in the final match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy against India, and has been one of Australia‘s most reliable players ever since.
Webster has peeled off 381 runs at a batting average of 35, and eight wickets averaging 23 – so the news he’d be left out of the team to take on England, for 26-year-old Cameron Green, has got many fans offside.
The 31-year-old has dragged Australia out of numerous tough spots in his very young test career, including in his very first test against India where he made a half century in his debut innings, and an unbeaten 39 in his second dig.
Fans and commentators have since been up in arms over the decision and have taken to social media to voice their frustrations.
‘The number of times Beau Webster has come in at four for not many and steadied the sinking ship… I have a feeling Australia will miss him a lot more than they realise’, one user wrote on X.
Beau Webster (right) and Cameron Green (left) have been competing for the all-rounder position in the Australia Test side
The 26-year-old Green (pictured) has beaten his Tasmanian rival to the spot for the first Test match in Perth
Webster (pictured after winning the winning runs against India in his debut Test match earlier this year) has been Australia’s ‘mr fixit’ – but won’t take part in the first Test of the Summer
‘Without question the unluckiest cricketer in along time Beau Webster’, another social media user remarked.
‘Beau Webster being dropped over Cameron green is disgraceful,’ yet another added.
Usman Khawaja will be partnered with debutant Jake Weatherald at the top of the Aussie batting order.
Scott Boland has earned an Ashes recall, replacing injured captain Pat Cummins.
And Brendan Doggett, Australia’s second debutant of the match, will replace injured quick Josh Hazlewood.
Steve Smith is set to captain Australia in an Ashes Test match for the first time in just under four years.
The 36-year-old will be hoping to put his best foot forward, following his war of words with relatively forgotten former England spinner Monty Panesar.
Webster has arguably been Australia’s best player since making his Test debut
The Tasmanian hasn’t put a foot wrong since making his Test debut – but has been dropped
Fans have slammed the decision to drop the 31-year-old on social media since the announcement was made
Panesar ignited a new feud, after calling for England to rehash the Sandpapergate scandal as a way to get under Australia’s skin ahead of the Test match.
Smith fired back, and pointed to the lack of credibility Panesar has due to his subpar performance on gameshow ‘Mastermind’.
Panesar then landed the final jab towards the Aussie batter, by conceding his Mastermind cameo was “terrible” but it was better than being “a cheat”.
The former England spinner took 14 wickets at an average of 53.64 with the ball in Ashes Tests, a figure which almost topples Smith’s 56.01 batting average against England.
