The opening slot contenders - Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft \u2013 are currently engaged in playing the first of two four-day games for Australia A, captained by McSweeney, against India A at Mackay, followed by next week\u2019s clash in Melbourne.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSo look, I mean, people have spoken about a \u2018bat off\u2019 and those types of terms. But there is a lot of context and consideration around (the) body of work for those senior players in Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cClearly Sam Konstas hasn\u2019t had that ability to have that body of work behind him because of the limited Shield cricket that he\u2019s played, and then Nathan (McSweeney) is somewhere in the middle of that.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere is context with everything. So you can take Sam, for example, he\u2019s had limited experience in Perth (and with) pink ball games and then obviously with the Gabba. So there\u2019s incredible challenges for players who have not played in those conditions before. It\u2019s not to so that he can\u2019t do that either. He\u2019s a fast learner.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAnd then you look at Marcus Harris. It wasn\u2019t that long ago that he played a blinding innings (at the MCG) against England. I think he got 70 runs. And the percentage of runs in that game was hugely important. So everyone\u2019s got an avenue through that. We\u2019ve got to, obviously have the (consideration of) context around everything that we decide upon,\u201d said McDonald to reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He also revealed all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is in the frame for selection when Australia take on Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series next year. Maxwell, 36, last played Tests for Australia in 2017 during the Bangladesh tour. Though he\u2019s not on the radar for selection in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIf you looked at the last two Test matches in Pakistan and India, the ability to play on that horizontal plane sweeping and reverse sweeping, I think will be a critical skill if the conditions are extreme.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cDoes he (Maxwell) fit that profile? 100 per cent he fits that profile. The big challenge for \u2018Maxi\u2019 is clearly his body and whether he can get through Test cricket, and what that may look like on the back of BBL (Big Bash League),\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
McDonald, who\u2019s given an extension in his tenure till 2027, stated ensuring a smooth transition in the Australian team is also a key priority for him. \u201cThere will be some transition \u2013 if you want to call it that \u2013 over the next few years, but we\u2019re big believers that there\u2019s no endpoint, or age shouldn\u2019t be the determinant, young or old, as to whether you\u2019re in the Australian cricket team.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very hard to change a settled team that\u2019s performing really well. There\u2019s historical moments, I think people take it back to the 1970s and 2007, where mass players have exited and they\u2019ve struggled to perform at the same level. We\u2019re not beholden to the past, if you get the selections right on the back of players exiting, then the transition is a lot smoother.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
McDonald, who\u2019s given an extension in his tenure till 2027, stated ensuring a smooth transition in the Australian team is also a key priority for him. \u201cThere will be some transition \u2013 if you want to call it that \u2013 over the next few years, but we\u2019re big believers that there\u2019s no endpoint, or age shouldn\u2019t be the determinant, young or old, as to whether you\u2019re in the Australian cricket team.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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