Injury blow for in-form Aussie batsman

Shaun Marsh (WA)

Age: 32

First-class average: 39.81

Since a fabulous debut hundred against Sri Lanka in 2011, Marsh has been given a handful of opportunities to cement his place in the Test team. To date, he's been unable to do so, and while his supporters will say he's been harshly treated (he was dropped just one Test after scoring a stirring 148 against South Africa in February 2014), his critics will point to his penchant for wafting outside off stump and regularly bringing the slips cordon into play. The elegant West Australian began this summer with a pair of Matador Cup hundreds, but his 92 against South Australia has been his one decent score from four attempts in the Sheffield Shield. He was named in Australia's squad for the abandoned tour of Bangladesh, so is clearly still in the thoughts of the National Selection Panel, and Warriors coach Justin Langer said Marsh's recent exclusion from the squad to take on New Zealand didn't spell the end of his Test match playing days. "People say it's the end of his career – I think it's rubbish," Langer said. "Shaun's still got a lot of cricket left in him. He's batting as well as he's batted since I've seen him play as a kid. Hopefully this will keep him hungry."

WATCH: Marsh thumps Tigers in Matador Cup

Cameron Bancroft (WA)

Age: 22

First-class average: 37.63

Bancroft burst onto the scene last summer with a productive Shield season highlighted by a marathon double-century against a quality New South Wales attack. Warriors captain Adam Voges likes what he sees in the hard-working top-order batsman. "He’s ready (for Test cricket), there’s no doubt about that from what I’ve seen over the last couple of years," Voges told cricket.com.au recently. "Cameron’s biggest strength is his concentration. You see a lot of talented youngsters coming through who can play all the shots but can’t bat for long periods of time. Cameron’s almost the opposite of that; he’s got the amazing ability to concentrate for long periods of time and he’s built a game around that. (Last season) against New South Wales he batted for 13-plus hours and was genuinely devastated when he got out. To bat for that long and be as devastated as he was sums him up character-wise – he’ll be ready to go if he gets picked." Bancroft was another selected on the Bangladesh tour, and added to his credentials with 111 against South Australia earlier this summer in the Shield.

WATCH: Bancroft hits hundred against Redbacks

Michael Klinger (WA)

Age: 35

First-class average: 39.66

Runs are the best currency and argument for any batsmen and selector Mark Waugh reckons it doesn't matter what format you score them in. If that's in fact the case, stop the fight – Klinger wins hands down. The veteran top-order batsman has piled them on in the last 12 months, scoring more than anyone on the planet barring Test superstars Steve Smith and Kumar Sangakkara. Those runs have been made for Western Australia (more than 1000 in last summer's Shield), Perth Scorchers (a century highlighting his first season with the Big Bash champions) and Gloucestershire, and include no less than a staggering 14 centuries in that 12-month period – most recently an unbeaten double century in the Shield. One gets the feeling Klinger is in the form of his life. According to selector Rod Marsh however, age factors against his claims. "Of course we've looked at Michael Klinger," Marsh said when the squad to take on the Black Caps was named. "He's got to keep making runs. Have you looked at Michael Klinger's batting average in first-class cricket? It's not as good as the other boys. Part of our selection policy is if you've got two blokes that are absolutely equal, you go for the younger bloke and I think that's very fair."

WATCH: Klinger smashes 200

Nic Maddinson (NSW)

Age: 23

First-class average: 38.25

Maddinson made a stunning century on his Shield debut back in October 2010 and ever since, he's been earmarked for big things. An Australia A regular, he's been hit and miss in the five years since; when he's on, he's sensational to watch, but those occasions have been few and far between. Last summer he appeared to turn a corner, enjoying his most productive Shield season to date with 483 runs at an average of 53.66, and a pair of centuries in the Matador Cup last month again resulted in his name being mentioned for higher honours. But Maddinson wasn't overly impressed with his own 2014-15 season, and seems to have worked out what it takes to be seriously considered for Test selection. "Rather than scoring just the one hundred and a couple of fifties, which looks like a pretty good year, you score three or four hundreds like Adam Voges did and all of a sudden you’re the one at the top of the list," he told cricket.com.au during the Matador Cup. "That’s where I want to improve this year. I felt like I had a good pretty year and I learned a lot about my game and how I want to play four-day cricket. It’s about getting in and putting your head down and actually putting some performances on the board so that you’re the one that deserves to be there."

WATCH: Maddinson hits out against Western Australia