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The first phase of MLB All-Star voting concluded last week, and two finalists at each position (six outfielders) advanced to phase two, where fans are voting to determine the starting lineup for both the American League and National League.

There will undoubtedly be some close races in the second phase of All-Star voting, with some position battles expected to go down to the wire. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge have already cemented their status as All-Star starters, having garnered the most votes in their respective leagues.

With voting set to close Wednesday, let’s take a look at some of the toughest decisions facing voters.

American LeagueFirst Base – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs. Paul Goldschmidt

It’s been barely a month since the 27-year old made his international debut, but he has been around the T20 circuit for a while

Omkar Mankame24-Nov-2025Mystery spinner Usman Tariq secured Pakistan’s entry into the T20I tri-series final with a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi. It’s been barely a month since the 27-year old made his international debut, but he has been around the T20 circuit for a while.Tariq made his T20 debut for Peshawar in the National T20 Cup in November 2023 and featured in the 2024 PSL but did not make an impact. A strong 2024-25 domestic season, where he picked up 22 wickets in 15 matches, revived his prospects.Tariq’s action is unmistakable: a normal run-up followed by an exaggerated pause at release, almost coming to a complete stop for up to two seconds before delivering side-arm, slinging offbreaks. It’s unconventional, deceptive, and central to his mystery.Related

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He has been reported for suspect action twice so far, first flagged during the 2024 PSL. He was cleared after testing at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore and continued bowling but was reported again in the next PSL. He passed the assessment again.Tariq played an important role in Quetta Gladiators’ run to the 2025 PSL final, taking ten wickets in five matches, including a three-for in Qualifier 1. In the CPL, he bagged 20 wickets in 10 games for champions Trinbago Knight Riders, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker.Tariq impressed on his T20I debut in Lahore by removing Reeza Hendricks and Dewald Brevis, helping Pakistan restrict South Africa to 139 for 9 in the series-clinching win. In his second outing, he finished with 4 for 18 – including that hat-trick – against Zimbabwe to cap a sparkling start to international cricket.

Glasgow Rangers are back in action once again in the Scottish Premiership this evening as they prepare to take on Kilmarnock away from Ibrox.

The Light Blues are looking to finally get back to winning ways after frustrating draws with Falkirk and Dundee United in their last outings in the league under Danny Rohl.

A 98th-minute penalty from Nedim Bajrami salvaged a point against Dundee United, and the Gers head coach may want to make several changes to the team after that disappointing showing, including dropping Bojan Miovski from the side.

Why Bojan Miovski should be dropped

The Macedonia international has been a regular starter in the Premiership, starting nine of his 11 appearances in the league (Sofascore), and led the line on Wednesday night.

Miovski lost three of his five ground duels and four of his five aerial duels, per Sofascore, against Dundee United, whilst he also missed his only ‘big chance’ in front of goal, which sort of sums up his season so far.

The former Aberdeen marksman has lost 69% of his duels and missed five ‘big chances’ to go along with his one goal in his 11 league outings, per Sofascore, which shows that he has struggled physically and in front of goal in a Gers shirt.

These statistics show that the 26-year-old striker has not delivered enough quality on the pitch, in or out of possession, which is why Rohl should drop the forward from the starting line-up for this clash with Kilmarnock this evening, to give Danilo or Youssef Chermiti a chance to lead the line.

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Miovski is not the only player who should be dropped from the side that started against Dundee United, though, as Connor Barron should also be ruthlessly ditched.

Why Connor Barron should be dropped

Rohl should drop the Scotland international from the starting line-up because his performances in the last two league games have not been at a high level.

Barron started against Falkirk and Dundee United alongside Nicolas Raskin in the middle of the park, ahead of Mohamed Diomande, but failed to offer enough quality on or off the ball.

Connor Barron

Vs Falkirk

Vs Dundee United

Minutes

76

90

Pass accuracy

90%

83%

Big chances created

0

0

Tackles made

0

1

Fouls committed

2

1

Ground duels won

3/6

1/5

Aerial duels won

0/1

0/2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Aberdeen star lost the majority of his physical duels across both games, including 86% against Dundee United, whilst he did not create any ‘big chances’ for the team.

This shows that Barron has been a lightweight in his duels in recent games, as opposition players have found it too easy to get the better of him, which has made the Rangers midfield too easy to play against.

On top of struggling out of possession, the 23-year-old central midfielder has no goals, no assists, and no ‘big chances’ created in 12 appearances and seven starts in the Premiership this season, per Sofascore.

He does not offer much of a threat at the top end of the pitch and that has played a part in Rangers scoring just one non-penalty goal in 180 minutes against Falkirk and Dundee United.

Rohl has Diomande, who scored in his last league start against Livingston, available for selection and should bring him into the team to replace Barron for this clash with Kilmarnock this evening.

The Ivorian talent, who is off to the African Cup of Nations later this month, produced five goals and nine assists in midfield for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he has the quality to make an impact in the final third when he is at his best.

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It is down to Rohl, though, to unleash him alongside Raskin against Kilmarnock tonight to provide him with another chance to remind the supporters of his quality before his absence due to international duty, because Barron has not done enough in his place.

“I am not using that as an excuse. I still think that the onus is on the players to find some way to churn up runs and wickets”

Ashish Pant04-Oct-20255:49

Bishop: Want WI batters to stop being satisfied with 20s and 30s

Roston Chase has voiced concerns about the “infrastructure problems” and the continuous “struggle for finances” in the Caribbean, but said that he didn’t want to use that as an excuse for West Indies’ poor performances in Test cricket in recent times.West Indies have lost five of their six Test matches this year. This includes being bundled out for 27 in the third Test against Australia in July. On Saturday, they went down by an innings and 140 runs to India on the third day of the opening Test in Ahmedabad.”I think the systems in the Caribbean are a bit poor in terms of training facilities and stuff,” Chase said after the game. “I am not using that as an excuse or something to hide behind for poor performances that we’ve been putting out lately. I still think that the onus is on the players to find some way to churn up runs and wickets and stuff.Related

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“But what I would say is yes, there is obviously a struggle in the Caribbean for finances. So whatever help we can get, if they are planning to get the help, I hope that we do get it so that we could strengthen the infrastructure for cricket.”While West Indies still have good fast bowlers in their set-up, their batting has been in freefall. In their last 15 innings in Test cricket, they have crossed 250 only once. Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s first-class average of 34.80 was the best among the top six batters in the West Indies’ XI for the first Test against India. Chase attributed the low averages to the pitches in the Caribbean not being batting-friendly.”Yeah, that is some of the infrastructure problems that we do have,” he said. “The pitches in the Caribbean are not really batsman-friendly. So guys don’t really bat for long periods and score those big scores. And then, too, the outfields in the Caribbean are really slow. When you hit the ball in the gaps, you probably end up struggling to get two. Those are just some of the problems that we are faced with in the Caribbean.”That’s why you see guys averaging so low. If you look at the past series we had against Australia, I think that was the first time I’ve ever played an international series where a batsman never scored a hundred in three matches. Obviously, we had a poor batting display. This has been something that has been plaguing us for the past two series.”In Ahmedabad, West Indies won the toss and batted first. They were bowled out for 162 in 44.1 overs in their first innings, and for 146 in 45.1 in their second.”We’ve not been able to at least bat 80 overs, bat a day or even get at least 250 or 300 runs on the board,” Chase said. “Anytime you win a toss in a Test match and bat and you don’t bat out the first day, you’re always going to be in trouble.”We saw the wicket. Although it had a bit of moisture, we still thought that it was a good wicket to bat first on. We thought that once we batted well and the openers went out there and just softened that moisture, then it would have been a good wicket to bat on, as we did see coming on later into the first day. But we didn’t start well and we never really put any partnerships in place. We never really got back into the game.”Chase suggested the only way for the batters to improve was to tighten and trust their defence. “We gifted some of the wickets too easily,” he said. “For me, it was a bit of rough and some balls were spinning up the rough. But there wasn’t any devils in the wicket. I still thought that it was a wicket that you could stand up and bat on as shown by the Indian batters.”But we need to trust in our defence a bit more. I can’t say that we weren’t scoring because the run rate was still good. But I just think that we need to be a little more solid in our defence.”West Indies are missing two of their three main fast bowlers in the series against India•AFP/Getty Images

While West Indies’ batting has been an issue, they are also missing two of their key fast bowlers in Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph through injuries. Jason Holder also declined to be a replacement, citing a planned medical procedure. Players picking and choosing formats has also been an issue with West Indies, but Chase said that “a guy is going to try to earn his living”.”I can’t really speak on another man’s body,” Chase said. “One thing I can say is that there’s a lot more cricket being played. There’s not a lot of rest for a player, especially if he’s playing all formats of the game. And then, especially with the leagues around the world, guys are looking to earn their money. They’re not really resting, getting adequate rest that their body may need.”But if they can try to stay as fit as possible and do a lot of gym work and not get too bulky but be strong enough that they can handle the load or in the case where they can pick and choose certain formats of the game and be available, I think that would be obviously better for us. But it is what it is. A guy is going to try to earn his living.”So I can’t really fault a guy for trying to go there and be available for whatever cricket it may be that he’s given the opportunity to play.”

Carlo Ancelotti has issued a final warning to Neymar when it comes to 2026 World Cup selection, with the Italian tactician eager to ensure that he does not make any “mistakes” when naming his final squad. Ancelotti has yet to call upon Neymar since becoming Selecao boss, but insists that the door remains open to the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar.

• When did Neymar make his last appearance for Brazil?

  Neymar is his country’s all-time leading scorer, with 79 goals being recorded across 128 appearances. He has not, however, pulled on a famous yellow jersey since October 2023 – when suffering knee ligament damage during a World Cup qualifying clash with Uruguay.

  A long road to recovery was taken in on the back of that fitness blow, with his contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal eventually being terminated. That decision freed Neymar to head home and rejoin boyhood club Santos.

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  Is Neymar in Brazil's World Cup plans? Ancelotti explains

  More fitness issues have been endured there, preventing the 33-year-old playmaker from convincing Ancelotti of his worth and earning an international recall. Neymar was overlooked again when Brazil named their squad for a friendly date with Tunisia that will take place in Lille, France.

  Unsurprisingly, Ancelotti continues to be quizzed on whether an iconic No.10 forms part of his plans. He told reporters when discovering that the subject had followed him from South America to Europe: “I thought Neymar was just a topic in Brazil, but I see it's a global issue. Fortunately, he recovered from his injury. Now he has six months to play. The Brazilian Championship stops on December 7, then he can take a vacation, but then he'll have the Brazilian Championship again to show his quality and, obviously, his physical condition.”

  Ancelotti went on to reveal that Neymar is in his thoughts when it comes to World Cup call-ups, but has pointed out that he will not be taking any risks when it comes to piecing together a squad to compete for global glory in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

  He added: “Neymar is on the list of players who could be at the World Cup. Now he has six months to make the final list. We just have to observe him and other players so as not to make mistakes in the final list.”

• Best position? Ancelotti wants to see Neymar as a No.10

  Ancelotti recently said of wanting to see more of Neymar at Santos in his favoured central playmaking berth: “I know everyone wants Neymar to get back to his best physical condition. And also the CBF, the coach, the technical staff of the national team hope that Neymar can return to his best level. The truth is that today's football demands many things. Not only talent, but also physical condition, intensity… hopefully Neymar will be at his best level.

  “I think he needs to play more centrally, not as a winger, because wingers in today's football are players you need to help defensively as well. When you play a little more centrally, the defensive work is much less than when you play as a winger. And I also think that a very talented player, closer to the goal, has more opportunities to score goals. [False 9] could be his ideal position.”

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  Move in 2026? Messi reunion mooted for Neymar in MLS

  Neymar has taken in three appearances since returning from his latest injury – with his last seeing a shock victory picked up against Palmeiras that has helped to lift Santos out of the relegation zone.

  Thigh problems have been an unfortunate theme over recent months, but Neymar does have six goals and three assists to his name through 24 appearances this season. More will be required in order to earn favour with Ancelotti, with there every chance that he will be plying his trade somewhere else when 2026 is welcomed in. That is because his contract continues to run down towards free agency, with a potential reunion with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at MLS side Inter Miami that would see Barcelona’s fabled ‘MSN’ strike force reformed continuing to be speculated on.

As Starc joins the elite club of fast bowlers with 100 Tests, a look at ten of his most defining performances

Alex Malcolm09-Jul-2025Galle 2016 vs Sri LankaIn conditions where Sri Lanka’s spinners ran roughshod over Australia’s batters, Starc put in a herculean effort to prove unequivocally that he did not need a swinging pink ball or fast bouncy pitches to be a force in Test cricket. He took 5 for 44 in the first innings and 6 for 50 in the second, which were his best Test figures until last season, to single-handedly give Australia a chance in a game they lost by 229 runs.He took wickets in all three phases of each innings, too, knocking over top-order players when the pitch was at its best with the new ball, removing set middle-order players like Kusal Mendis with a 45-over-old ball, before blowing away the tail with reverse swing.Colombo 2016 vs Sri LankaHaving already lost the series, Starc again gave his side a chance in Colombo for a face-saving win with 5 for 63 from 25.1 overs in the first innings after Sri Lanka had won the toss at the normally batter-friendly SSC ground. He stormed through the top order with the new ball, taking three wickets, to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 24 for 4.Mitchell Starc roars after dismissing Kusal Mendis•Associated PressHe later broke a 211-run stand to remove Dinesh Chandimal for 132 with extra pace in the 104th over of the innings before claiming a deserved fifth to finish the innings. It helped Australia claim a first-innings lead. Starc also took two in the second to finish with seven for the match and 23 in the series. Only one other wicket in the match was taken by a seamer on either team, as Rangana Herath took 13 to skittle Australia twice and seal a 3-0 series win.Pune 2017 vs IndiaStarc had made 99 on his first tour of India in Mohali on a very flat pitch but his batting in Pune in 2017 had as much of an impact on Australia’s victory as Steven Smith’s. In the first innings he walked out to bat with Australia 190 for 6 and peeled off 61 from 63 balls, adding 64 with Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood who contributed one run between them to set up a vital first innings total of 260.It will be remembered as O’Keefe’s match with the ball, but before the left-arm spinner broke through, Starc had already removed the two danger men in three balls in the 15th over. He reared one from a length at searing pace to the immovable Cheteshwar Pujara to have him caught behind off the glove. Two balls later, he nicked off Virat Kohli.In the second innings, Starc smacked 30 off 31 including three sixes and added 42 with Smith, who made a stunning 109 to take the game out of India’s reach. Starc’s aggregate of 91 with the bat for the match was only bettered by Smith and Matt Renshaw as Australia won handsomely.Durban 2018 vs South AfricaA few weeks before the Sandpaper storm in Cape Town, Starc’s nine-wicket haul in Durban had handed Australia a 1-0 series lead during a match that set in motion a chain events that would have a seismic impact on global cricket. He took 9 for 109, including 5 for 34 and 4 for 75 and was virtually unplayable. The majority of his success came with the old ball in a masterful display of reverse swing. He blew away South Africa’s tail in both innings as Australia won by 118 runs.Mitchell Starc’s reverse-swing remained the most potent bowling weapon in Port Elizabeth•AFPCanberra 2019 vs Sri LankaStarc’s performance at Manuka Oval won’t be high on many people’s lists of his best in Test cricket but it deserves as much praise as any of his best bowling efforts. On a pitch where Australia racked up 534 for 5 and 196 for 3 and four batters made centuries, Starc took 10 for 100 with a searing display of pace bowling, coming after three Tests where wickets had dried up. Among his ten, he forced Dhananjaya de Silva to hit his own wicket while trying to avoid a brutal bouncer. Most of the wickets were top-order players with the newer ball as there was no reverse swing to speak of.Perth 2019 vs New ZealandStarc’s fitness and durability is one of the most underrated aspects of his career. Never was it more evident than in oppressively hot conditions at Optus Stadium when Australia lost Josh Hazlewood to injury after eight balls of New Zealand’s first innings. Without the aid of an allrounder in the XI to fill the void, Starc took 5 for 52 from 18 overs in the first innings and 4 for 45 from 14 in the second. He also added 30 with the bat in the first innings to complete a Player of the Match performance and help Australia to a thumping win.Lahore 2022 vs PakistanAustralia’s quicks had bowled themselves into the ground across the first two drawn Tests. In the series decider, Starc and Pat Cummins dug deep with a mighty two-man effort to rip the series away from Pakistan. The hosts were 214 for 2 after Australia had posted a potentially under par 391. Starc took 4 for 33 from 20.4, tearing the heart out of the middle order including pinning an in-form Babar Azam lbw, while Cummins took five to bowl Pakistan out for 268 and establish a vital first innings lead that helped win the series 1-0.Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have put in long shifts for Australia•AFP/Getty ImagesLeeds 2023 vs EnglandStarc very nearly stole the third Test and the series from England with a phenomenal performance, having initially been left out of the first Test at Edgbaston due to his middling record in the country. The hosts were chasing 251 for victory and would have cantered home without Starc making life incredibly difficult.He removed Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow at regular intervals to leave England wobbling at 171 for 6. A brilliant partnership between Harry Brook and Chris Woakes steadied the chase before Starc bounced out Brook to create more drama with 21 still needed. But Starc’s five came with minimal support at the other end and England squeezed home by three wickets to change the course of the series.Adelaide 2024 vs IndiaStarc turned Australia’s fortunes around in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar series. Having been battered by Yashasvi Jaiswal in Perth, who had accused Starc of bowling too slow, he blew the opener’s pad off with the first ball of the match on his way to a career-best 6 for 48. It was yet another pink-ball masterclass from Starc, but this was done entirely in broad daylight as India lasted just 44.1 overs after opting to bat first. It set up a 10-wicket win and levelled the series at 1-1, with Australia going on to reclaim the trophy for the first time in ten years.Mitchell Starc drives Marco Jansen en route his Test fifty•ICC/Getty ImagesLord’s 2025 vs South AfricaThis was another standout performance from Starc in a losing cause. After Australia posted an underwhelming 212 in the first innings of the WTC final, Starc wrestled back the momentum by knocking over both openers. He also had a straightforward catch dropped by keeper Alex Carey that would have bagged him the top three. Australia still claimed a 75-run first innings lead before they lost 7 for 73 when batting a second time.Starc ground out his first half-century in six years and one of his longest Test innings, making 58 not out off 136 balls and sharing a 59-run last wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood to give Australia 282 to defend. Again, he removed Ryan Rickelton early before ending a 61-run stand between Wiaan Mulder and Aiden Markram.He should have had Temba Bavuma caught at second slip in his next over, but Smith spilled the edge standing very close and injured his finger badly in the process. Instead of having South Africa 75 for 3, with Starc claiming all three, Bavuma and Markram produced a match-winning stand of 147.

New Zealand ended 476 runs ahead after day two as Zimbabwe looked tired on a flat surface

Firdose Moonda08-Aug-2025Centuries from Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra took New Zealand to their highest total against Zimbabwe, and a 476-run first innings lead in the second Test. They have not declared, and have plenty of batting to come. With conditions suited to the filling of boots, and with three days left in the game, New Zealand might be eyeing more on a flat surface against a tired opposition.Already, three of New Zealand’s line-up have given them food for thought ahead of the next World Test Championship cycle. Conway brought up 2000 Test runs and his fifth hundred, two-and-a-half years and 32 innings since his last – against Pakistan in Karachi in January 2023. Nicholls’ century was his tenth in the format and an important one after he was left out of the XI for all of 2024. And Ravindra’s hundred was his third and fastest, off just 104 balls.Zimbabwe had three bowlers bring up unwanted triple-figure scores of their own. Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu and Vincent Masekesa all conceded more than a hundred runs. They were also the only bowlers among the seven Zimbabwe used to get themselves among the wickets, though Gwandu’s came on the first day. Zimbabwe have bowled 130 overs in the match so far, including 91 on the second day.New Zealand resumed their innings in cold conditions on 174 for 1 on the second morning, 49 runs ahead of Zimbabwe. If there was anything to be offered from the overheads, Zimbabwe were unable to make much use of it. The first ball was short and wide, and Conway cut it for four in a sign of what was to come. To Tanaka Chivanga’s credit, he managed to hurry nightwatcher Jacob Duffy into two pulls – but the first fell short of mid-on, and the second short of midwicket. Duffy, though, got it right off Muzarabani, and his stand with Conway grew to fifty. Their partnership was worth 62 when Conway drove Muzarabani through mid-off to bring up his century off 143 balls.Brian Bennett did well to catch nightwatcher Jacob Duffy•Zimbabwe CricketDuffy batted for 13.2 overs on the second morning, and almost the full first hour, before he pulled Masekesa to short midwicket, where Brian Bennett moved quickly to his right to take a good catch. But Zimbabwe’s joy was short lived as that wicket brought Nicholls to the crease, and they would go 30 overs without another wicket.Nicholls took his time to get himself in, with nine runs off the first 25 balls he faced, before he was gifted a full toss from Masekesa and sent it to the square-leg boundary. That set Nicholls on his way, and he was particularly successful against spin, as Zimbabwe turned to their slower bowlers while waiting for the second new ball. In total, Nicholls scored 96 runs off Zimbabwe’s four spinners.New Zealand went to lunch on 306 for 2, with a lead of 181, and with the second new ball nine overs away. Before it arrived, Nicholls got to fifty and then Conway to 150 off the final delivery with the old ball.Zimbabwe took the second new ball as soon as it became available, and Muzarabani seemed to find some extra bounce. With a zip in his step, Muzarabani thought he had Nicholls lbw with a delivery that angled in and hit him on the pad, but must have been going down leg, and then did get Conway. Bizarrely, Conway shouldered arms to a back-of-a-length ball that he must have thought was going over the stumps but instead hit his body and ricocheted onto off stump. He was dismissed 2.3 overs into the second new ball.Henry Nicholls scored his tenth Test hundred•Zimbabwe CricketConway’s dismissal did little to halt Nicholls’ momentum. He hit Chivanga wide of point for four as Ravindra arrived, also slightly circumspect. Ravindra scored seven runs off the first 13 balls he faced but then raced to 26 off 24 balls after carving Muzarabani up through extra cover, past gully and over the leg side for three fours in the sixth over of his spell. Zimbabwe were soon back to spin, and though Sikandar Raza occasionally beat the bat with flight, there was very little threat from Zimbabwe. By tea, New Zealand were 302 runs ahead.The final session was all New Zealand as Nicholls brought up his century when he flicked Gwandu past mid-on and ran three. Ravindra took back-to-back to back boundaries off the rest of the over to race to 75. The boundaries dried up from there on, and Ravindra had to work hard for his next 25 runs. But he got them in 36 balls, and then hammered Raza through extra cover for four for good measure. With milestones up for both batters and 500 up for New Zealand, they played with freedom and scored 88 runs off the last 11 overs in the day.Nicholls and Ravindra both reached 150, as Conway had done earlier in the day, to make only the third time in Test history that three batters had crossed that landmark in a Test. Neither Nicholls nor Ravindra looks ready to stop just yet – which could mean another long day in the field for a weary Zimbabwe side whose winless streak seems set to continue.

Tasmanian in line to become Usman Khawaja’s seventh opening partner in last two years

Alex Malcolm17-Nov-2025Jake Weatherald and Usman Khawaja batted alongside each other in adjoining nets at Perth Stadium on Monday.There are similarities in their stances but that is about where the similarities end, both as players and as people. However, they have struck up a rapport already, at least publicly via the media, as two unique individuals willing to have some fun with each other.Weatherald went first, stating on the Grade Cricketer podcast that he wasn’t sure if Khawaja knew his name despite playing against him for 10 years. The clip went viral on Instagram. Khawaja struck back with a comment on the post, “Who this?”Related

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Weatherald, on his first day in an Australian dressing room, continued the fun.”He still calls me Jack, so we’ll get there eventually,” Weatherald told reporters on Monday. “Hopefully, if I get a game, he can find Jake there somewhere.”Jokes aside, Khawaja could be forgiven for not remembering names given Weatherald is potentially going to be his seventh Test opening partner in the last two years.That Weatherald still doesn’t know if he playing four days out from the first ball is an indicator of how unsettled Australia’s opening pair has been.In Weatherald’s favour is that he is the most experienced opener of the six since David Warner retired, at least in first-class cricket. Every one of his 145 first-class innings have come opening the batting. He has more first-class innings and more centuries, 13, than Khawaja does in the position, albeit nine of Khawaja’s 11 have come in Test cricket where he has turned into one of Australia’s best ever.Despite all that experience, though, a debut in an Ashes Test in Perth is a different beast. Even for a 31-year-old who has experienced some serious challenges in life, Weatherald went through what every new kid at school does on his first day.There was a moment before he spoke to reporters, where he leaned on the fence and stared up at the gargantuan Perth Stadium stands and imagined what it would look like on Friday when all 60,000 seats are occupied.”I’ve played a little bit of Big Bash cricket here, but at the same time, to represent your country in a place like this, it’s such a cool stadium,” Weatherald said. “To look out and see what it looked like, obviously with everyone full and obviously walking out to bat, I was sort of imagining what it’d be like to go out there.”

“I think that’s going to be the true test for myself, to go out there and just try and operate the same way. And if I walk out there and nick off first ball then I walk out the innings after and try to repeat the same thing again, in terms of my process”Jake Weatherald on the step up to Test cricket

He was wearing his brand-new Australia whites, with his initials, JW, embossed on them and number 66 on the back. The same number worn by his potential opponent this week, Joe Root. It could very well be a nod to Chuck Berry and “Route 66″, given Weatherald’s passion for rock-and-roll guitarists.There was, however, a number missing on his shirt. Eleven of Australia’s 13 squad members in Perth on Monday that had assembled for various media commitments also had their Test numbers embossed.Weatherald and Brendan Doggett did not. They may well do by the end of the week. But it was a subtle reminder that this school is different.He might have played BBL cricket at Perth Stadium before, with a match-winning half-century for Adelaide Strikers to win an elimination final against Perth Scorchers in his last outing at the venue. He also has a century at a full Adelaide Oval in a BBL final. But Test cricket is another level and Weatherald is aware that replicating what has made him the best Sheffield Shield opener of the past 12 months under Ashes pressure will be a huge challenge.”It’s certainly going to be a difficult thing,” Weatherald said. “That’s a part of being an international cricketer, I guess, the fact there’s lot more to it. But at the same time, I think that’s going to be the true test for myself, to go out there and just try and operate the same way. And if I walk out there and nick off first ball then I walk out the innings after and try to repeat the same thing again, in terms of my process.”Trusting his process is what has got Weatherald to the brink of a Test debut. He did not change a thing in his first net session with the team. While Khawaja, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and most others opted to face a majority of throw downs from the coaches on spicy surfaces, Weatherald stayed true to what he has been doing for Tasmania, facing the best bowlers he can in the nets to replicate match conditions as best he can.He took on a brutal spell from Pat Cummins, facing a lion’s share of his eight overs. Beau Webster found nip and awkward bounce at a slightly less venomous, but no less nickable pace. Nathan Lyon found spin and bounce as well. Weatherald took it all on. It looked incredibly hard work. But he endured with the same positive mindset he has shown for Tasmania in recent times.”He’s been a revelation for us at the top of the order,” Webster said of his Tasmanian team-mate.”We were sort of crying out a little bit for someone who can take the game away early in the innings, and he does that. We saw even a couple of knocks this year to go with his exceptional year last year, where he puts the pressure back on the bowlers. And he does it quickly. He bats how you want to as an opening of batter in Australia right now. He punishes the bad ball, and he’s really selective when the ball’s around the stumps. So he’s been excellent for us.”