Chairman of selectors John Inverarity said it was too soon to make a call on whether or not Watson will be fully fit for the match after he was left out of the Brisbane Test with a calf strain.
“The only change from the original 12-player squad is that Rob Quiney remains with the squad after joining the group in Brisbane following Shane Watson’s withdrawal,” Inverarity told a press conference.
“He’s progressing, but we just don’t know. The Test doesn’t start for another six days, so we’ll have a very careful assessment next Tuesday or Wednesday.”
He added Watson will have to have a full fitness test involving running between wickets, turning, fielding and chasing and diving. And then there’s the question of, do they pick him as just the number three batsman if he can’t bowl.
“It’s unlikely he’ll be able to get his bowling workloads up in time, to be able to bowl in the Test. So that’s something the national selection panel will have to consider very carefully next week,” Inverarity said.
If Watson’s selected, Quiney who disappointed on debut will be dropped.
Mitchell Starc has been in good form for NSW and is in the reckoning for one of the three quicks spots but will need to bump Ben Hilfenhaus, James Pattinson or Peter Siddle, who all performed well in the series opener.
They’ll join spinner Nathan Lyon, who used to be a curator on the Adelaide Oval.
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