Perth – Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie says Brendan Doggett is ready to step into the Test team for the first Ashes match against England that opens on November 21 in Perth, after Josh Hazlewood goes down with a hamstring injury.
Doggett, 31, could become Australia’s 472nd Test cricketer and would join Gillespie and Scott Boland as only three Indigenous Australians to take the wickets in a Test match.
“Doggett is one of the quicker bowlers in Australia. He has a good motor, he’s a greyhound and is as fit as a fiddle. He’s ready to go,” Gillespie told ABC Radio. “England will sniff any chance, but the Australian seam attack can handle it.”
Doggett’s path to international cricket was unconventional. He first played for the former CA XI in a one‑day cup in October 2016 and didn’t earn a national squad call‑up until 2018, a few months after the Pakistan tour fell through because of the South Africa ball‑tampering scandal. Injuries slowed him, but a move to South Australia in 2021 gave him a new start.
In the 2023‑24 Sheffield Shield, Doggett was the star of South Australia’s first title since 1995‑96, taking 33 wickets at 24.15 and posting a record 11‑140 in the final. His performances earned him praise from Gillespie, who said the journey shows “the value of our local competitions, plying away and working on your craft.”
If chosen, Doggett will play his first Test in Perth, where the Ashes opener will pit the Australian fast bowlers against England on a pitch that could favor seam. After that, the series continues with a day‑night match in Brisbane (Dec 4‑8), a Test in Adelaide (Dec 17‑21), the Boxing Day Test at the MCG (Dec 26‑30), and a final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (Jan 4‑8, 2026).
The crowd and expectation are high as Australia looks to ground its bowling attack for a test-thrilling showdown in the 2025 Ashes series.
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