Cameron Bancroft brutally snubbed from Test squad as Aussie cricket greats ignored

Steve Smith will open the batting for Australia in the upcoming series against the West Indies with both Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris snubbed from the Test squad. Aussie cricket greats Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer and Mike Hussey have all called for a specialist opener to be introduced into the squad to fill the position David Warner left behind after his retirement last week.

Ponting backed Bancroft, who has topped the run-scoring charts in Sheffield Shield across the last two years, to step right in at the top of the order next to Usman Khawaja. Although in recent days it emerged Smith was willing to move up the order to allow Cameron Green to slot in at No.4.

'WELL PLAYED': Carey's funny new swipe over Jonny Bairstow Ashes drama

CLASSIC: Glenn Maxwell's epic response after Aussie great's golf cart sledge

And Aussie selectors have listened to Smith having snubbed both Bancroft and Harris from the squad. Chief selector George Bailey later confirmed would make the surprise shift up the order as Green returns to the starting XI having been dropped during the latest Ashes series.

Matt Renshaw's selection will also come as a shock to many Aussie cricket fans having struggled in the baggy green in recent years when given the chance. However, selectors might be looking at his versatility in the batting line-up as a back-up batter.

"Cameron Green will come into the playing XI for the Test in Adelaide," Bailey said. "We have selected a team we believe contains the best six batters in the country." Scott Boland also made the squad, but both Renshaw and the quick will join the team later.

Bancroft has done everything possible to earn a recall having piled on the runs for Western Australia in the last two seasons of the domestic competition. This saw Ponting call for the specialist opener to return.

"If you look at those three guys, I think it's quite clear that Bancroft is the one that's got the runs on the board and I wouldn't be surprised if they (selectors) go that way," Ponting told SEN Radio in November. If you wind the clock back about six months it might have been a slightly different order than what it is now.

"I think they probably had Harris as the one that would come back in a while ago. To me now it sort of feels (there's) a bit more of a groundswell behind Cameron Bancroft getting first crack." Aussie cricket fans were left feeling sorry for Bancroft with many believing the opener had done enough to earn a recall after Warner's retirement.

Cameron Green returns to Aussie XI

In the lead-up to Warner's retirement, many felt it was a battle between Bancroft and Harris for the opening position. However, Aussie selectors were clearly keen to reintroduce Green back into the team. Green will also add another bowling option for captain Pat Cummins.

Smith's admission he would be happy to move up the order certainly would have impacted the decision. And Aussie great Langer knows better than most that shifting someone like Smith or Green up the batting order has been very successful for Australia in the past.

In fact, Langer is one of eight 'manufactured' openers to have experienced a successful stint at the top of the order for Australia, with all but one of them seeing their average improve while opening the batting. Langer - like current opener Khawaja - shone in his role at the top alongside Matthew Hayden, averaging 48.22 at the top compared to 39.04 down the order.

AUSTRALIA SQUAD FOR WEST INDIES TEST SERIES:

Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Matt Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.

Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.