Marcus Harris returns to Australian squad for Test series against West Indies

The 13-player squad named today represents a downsize on the number of players needed in recent years when COVID-19 protocols remained in place, with pace bowlers Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson as well as leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson the names missing from last summer's expanded Ashes group.

Swepson was also part of this year's overseas Test campaigns in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, where spin-friendly conditions saw the inclusion of allrounders Ashton Agar and Mitchell Marsh with back-up 'keeper Josh Inglis also a member of those touring parties.

Marcus Harris regains his berth after being overlooked for Sri Lanka where Australia shared the spoils 1-1 after their historic 1-0 series win on their first tour to Pakistan for almost quarter of a century.

National selection panel chair George Bailey said today Harris's reinstatement was recognition of his recent form with the left-hander posting centuries in both the Marsh Sheffield Shield and Marsh One Day Cup formats this summer after a stint in the UK county competition.

"Marcus Harris retains his place after continuing to perform for Gloucestershire in the English County competition and a strong start to the Marsh Sheffield Shield season," Bailey said today.

"After some larger squads for the subcontinent tours over the winter, we have returned to a very similar squad to that which performed strongly last summer in comprehensively winning the Ashes."

Travis Head, player of the series in last summer's Ashes triumph, has kept his place despite scoring 291 runs at an average of just under 20 with a solitary half-century in his 17 first-class innings since his match-defining hundred in the final Test against England at Hobart.

Support had been growing for Victoria captain Peter Handscomb to earn a recall to Australia's middle-order given he has plundered 1,122 first-class runs at a touch above 70 with three centuries (including last month's 281no against Western Australia) from 23 knocks over the same period.

But Bailey and his fellow selectors Tony Dodemaide and men's team coach Andrew McDonald have stuck with the top six they have deployed since that Hobart Test when Usman Khawaja replaced Harris as David Warner's opening partner.

West Indies have not won a Test on Australian soil since 1997 and have lost 12 of their 14 outings here since that time but emerged successful in their two most recent campaigns against Bangladesh and England, both of which were played in the Caribbean.

Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v West Indies:

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas