Australia's Ashes hero Michael Neser has suffered a right calf strain in training but remains hopeful of being fit for the tour of South Africa in October.
Neser, 36, was not selected in Australia's 13-man squad for the home two-Test series against Bangladesh, which starts next Thursday in Darwin, due to the return of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood from injury.
Neser was an unexpected hero of the Ashes picking up 15 wickets at 19.93 including a maiden Test five-wicket haul on his home ground at the Gabba and two four-wicket hauls in Melbourne and Sydney.
He was in full training and on standby for the Bangladesh series should any injury occur to the big four. But he suffered an unexpected calf injury doing a running session this week that will require a month-long rehab before rebuilding his bowling loads ahead of the South Africa tour where he will be a significant chance to be part of a five or six-strong pace squad for back-to-back Tests in October.
Neser has been injury-free since his major hamstring strain in November 2024 while bowling for Australia A in the lead-up to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After his Ashes heroics last summer he was handed a Cricket Australia contract and did not travel to England to play for Hampshire earlier in the winter in order to remain fresh for Australia's unprecedented run of 20, possibly 21, Tests over the next 12 months. Australia's selectors, coaching and medical staff are acutely aware they will need squad depth to get through the schedule with an ageing group of quicks.
Neser's performances in the Ashes, in the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood, were critical to Australia's 4-1 series triumph. Neser has credited higher speed running and higher intensity bowling sessions, with lower overall volume, to his late-career success at Test level. Much was made of his effectiveness during the Ashes with keeper Alex Carey stood up to the stumps but Neser's ball speeds touched 140kph during the series and his sustained speeds have been the highest of his career.
Neser's injury was the only major issue to come out of Australia's training camp in Brisbane so far. Josh Inglis suffered back spasms while batting during a two-day centre-wicket practice but it is a recurrence of an issue he has had previously and is expected to be fine for when the squad travels to Darwin on Saturday. Australia's four quicks including Cummins, Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland are all in good shape heading to Darwin with a decision likely to be made between Hazlewood and Boland for the final spot in the XI for the first Test. Nathan Lyon is expected to play on return from hamstring surgery after bowling well in the centre-wicket practice at the Allan Border Field where he picked up three wickets and got through lengthy spells without issue.
On the batting front, Marnus Labuschagne, Jake Weatherald and Cameron Green all made half-centuries and spent significant time at the crease over the two days. It appears likely that Green and Beau Webster will feature in the same XI in Darwin with Green possibly set to move up to No. 5 following the retirement of Usman Khawaja in Australia's last Test in Sydney in January.
Meanwhile, the selectors have added promising Queensland left-hand batter Jack Clayton to the 13-man Cricket Australia XI that will face Bangladesh in a three-day tour match in Darwin starting on Thursday. Clayton replaces Victoria left-hand batter Tom Rogers who is headed to Sri Lanka to play in the Lanka Premier League as a replacement player. New South Wales veteran Kurtis Patterson will lead the CA XI and all 13 players will be able to bat and bowl in the non-first-class tour match against Bangladesh. South Australia allrounder Noah McFadyen has been squeezed out of the initial 14-man squad.