Australia's captain Michael Clarke has conceded he may be without Shane Watson, Ryan Harris, Shaun Marsh, and Mitchell Johnson for the first Test against New Zealand in Brisbane.
The key quartet are all in various states of doubt for the start of the home summer, Watson and Johnson the most recently injured during Australia's dramatic second Test victory over South Africa in Johannesburg. Watson's hamstring appears likely to keep him out of contention, while the extent of Johnson's uncommon foot injury, sustained while batting, remains unclear.
Clarke is due to join in the first formal selection meeting of the new panel on Thursday evening, with the tour match between Australia A and New Zealand in Brisbane providing another pointer towards potential reinforcements.
"We're going to be a few short I think," Clarke said of the injury toll on his return to Australia. "We've got Shaun Marsh and Ryan Harris back home so I'm waiting to hear how they're going. Shane Watson's got a hamstring strain, Mitchell Johnson had a scan the other day that was inconclusive so he's got to get more information when he gets back to Perth, but he's certainly in doubt for the first Test as well.
"I would imagine Shane would have to be some sort of doubt, I don't know the extent of what has come back on the scan, but we haven't got much time to get him right, so he's certainly in doubt. There's going to be some changes come the first Test because of injuries. I have a selection meeting on Thursday, a phone hook-up with the other selectors, and I'll imagine the team will be announced shortly after that conversation."
Harris and Marsh are progressing in their recoveries from hip and back problems, but are unlikely to have any cricket to play before the Test team assembles in Brisbane. One option for the selectors is to name a squad of 13 or 14 and assess the duo's fitness in training. Harris has said he is happy to play through pain and worry about the consequences in retirement.
"That's something I'm happy to put up with," he told AAP. "Hopefully three years [of Test cricket] would be nice ... and then I'll worry about my body. Then I could have my hip replacement, and have my knee ripped up. I want just want to get through the next couple of years, really enjoy it, it's only a short life doing what we do.
"I've told my doctors and physios that: 'You get me on the park and I'll worry about what happens after'."
Johnson had a poor Test series in South Africa, taking 3 for 255 in two Tests, and there were questions raised over whether he would keep his place in the team on bowling form. However, Johnson made vital contributions of 38 and 40 with the bat in Johannesburg, helping Australia level the series 1-1 with a two-wicket win.
Watson also had an ordinary series with the bat, making 95 in four innings with a top score of 88. He bowled only 18.5 overs in the series and took six wickets, but his contribution to the attack at the Wanderers was only 3.5 overs because of a hamstring problem. Clarke suggested he would prefer to have his deputy in the team as an allrounder rather than a gingerly moving batsman he was at the Wanderers.
"If Watto couldn't bowl he's still one of our front-line batters so yeah I'd be more than happy to have him in the team just as a batsman, but in a perfect world, as we've seen over the past six months his bowling is crucial to our team, so we've got to make a smart decision," Clarke said. "We've got to work out where he's at, when you bat, Watto doesn't do it very often but you do need to bat at some stage. He hits a lot of fours and sixes so he probably gets away with it a lot more than other people, but I think we've got to make the smart decision."
Injuries aside, Clarke could not have mounted a more staunch defence of his team's performance in South Africa. Despite the abject nature of the team's defeat in Cape Town, a recovery to square the series made Clarke fervent in his belief that the majority of the team should be retained. He was especially passionate in his argument for the retention of Ricky Ponting and Johnson.
"If I thought that Ricky Ponting or Mitchell Johnson couldn't perform at this level, I wouldn't be supporting them as I have done," Clarke said. "I've been watching Ricky bat in the nets, I know he's in good knick. Under pressure the other night he did that, but he needs to continue to perform, better than he has done of late, to stay in the team. He's made no bones about that, and with Mitch, both guys bring a lot to the team, and that's the thing that if you're not in the environment you don't get to see and realise what's required to be part of a successful team.
"It's not just about making runs or taking wickets. That is first and foremost, but Mitchell's 40 the other night wins us the Test match, Punter's 60 sets the game up for us when we're two for none under pressure. Ricky's fielding still at this stage in my opinion is the best in the world, at nearly 37 years of age. You look at some of the young players coming in today, the fielding standard is nowhere near as good as what it used to be.
"When you've got someone like Ricky, what he does in the field, his experience as a senior player, his knowledge of places around the world that youngsters are going and playing at, he's giving information to Pat Cummins that plays a big part in him taking six wickets the other day, a lot of people don't see that. He has helped us have success since I've taken over the captaincy, definitely."
For his part, Ponting said he had no intention of retiring.
"Of course (I want to keep playing). I really enjoy it and always have," he said on arrival. "It's a great team to be a part of at the moment. I want to be around and hopefully be able to have some sort of impact on the way the team plays ... If I keep doing my job, then hopefully I keep getting picked."
