The Ashes 2013 : Brad Haddin back as Clarke's lieutenant | Cricket News | Australia in England - The Ashes | ESPN Cricinfo
Dan Brettig is usually right with his predictions with AUS squads before they occur. Very wise decision to bring back Haddin as 1st choice keeper & vice-captain, Wade's time to be # 1 keeper will come.
However potentially not picking Rogers & Bailey and persisting with Smith, Cowan & calling up Marsh & Agar would be poor decisions.
On Cowan, he is limited player although he is hard working. AUS have got every once out of his ability already as an opener & i can see Anderson making a mess of him. He has been preventing Watson from opening (which is Watto's best position) & he can't bat anywhere else in the middle-order competently IMO, so its time to tap him on the shoulder and say thanks & goodbye.
Smith didn't look out of his depth in India, but to me that has to do more with the fact that unlike most AUS batsmen, he naturally plays spin better naturally than most. He is not among the top batsmen in AUS & his ability to play the moving ball based on his past test vs England & Pakistan are very questionable. They would be better of promoting Bailey to the test set-up or even Callum Ferguson.
No sense taking two spinners to England really, if Fawad Alam can't get his passport in time. Agar may be talented, but realistically if Lyon was to get injured in a test, AUS would be better of playing an all-pace attack.
Marsh has not proven he has recovered well enough to earn a test recall. That would be a unnecessary gamble to select him, especially with Chris Rogers available.
As i always say AUS don't lack the talent, its the selectors not being wise enough to select the correct players that continues to blunt Australia's progress in this post McGrath/Warne era.