‘It’s still raw’: Outcast Aussie opener’s thinly veiled swipe at selectors over Test snubbing

Marcus Harris has expressed his disappointment at being left out of the Australian squad for the Test series against the West Indies, wondering whether selectors “want to pick specialist opening batsmen anymore”.

At the beginning of the summer, many believed Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw were the three fighting for the impending vacancy at the top of the Aussie batting order left by the retirement of David Warner after the Pakistan series.

However, immediately after Warner played his final match at the SCG, talk turned to Steve Smith potentially moving up to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja with Cameron Green to slot back into the side at number four.

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Harris and Bancroft left out of the Test squad entirely, while Renshaw was named as a reserve batsman with selectors deciding to reinvigorate Smith’s career with a shift up the order.

Smith scored 12 and 11 n.o as opener in his two innings against the West Indies in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval. Before that match, Smith had never opened the batting at Test level.

Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ 6PR radio station in Perth, Harris said it has been an interesting couple of months not knowing what the selectors would do and that the disappointment of missing out again is “still raw”.

“It’s been interesting. Coming off the back of the Ashes we knew that Davey had put a timeline on when he wanted to finish so there was obviously a lot of speculation about when he would finish and who would replace him and I was obviously one of the names in contention,” Harris said.

“What’s good now is that now it has been decided and been done, it’s one less thing I have to worry about. It’s been an interesting couple of months but at least I know now where I stand instead of battling with the unknown.

“I didn’t really hear too much around selection from them to be honest.

“I was with the squad in England and then I probably spoke to (head selector) George (Bailey) before the PM XI game but they didn’t say too much around selection so I didn’t really know anything until I got the phone call last week about the selection of the squad.

“It’s a little bit of the unknown which is frustrating but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Despite the latest setback, Harris, who averages a shade over 25 from 14 Tests, still holds out hope that he can don the baggy green again.

However, given how it’s played out this summer, he is sceptical.

“I hope so (play for Australia again), but it depends if they want to pick specialist opening batsmen anymore or not,” he said.

“ Time will tell I suppose. It’s still a bit raw with the disappointment of selection but things can change quickly and I back myself to do a job but it’s up to selectors if they want to pick me or pick specialist opening batsmen anymore.”