McGrath deserves new ball - Buchanan

John Buchanan has tipped Glenn McGrath to regain his opening bowling duties for the Ashes due to the magnificent "aura" he has created throughout his career. McGrath will not have played a Test for 11 months when the England series starts, but Buchanan said in the Sydney Morning Herald he had not lost the respect of his opponents during his time away.

"There is no doubt that for some of our older bowlers, like Glenn and Warney, with age comes a lessening of some of the physical aspects of your game," Buchanan told the paper. "But more than out-pointing that is the experience and sense of aura guys like that bring to the team.

"Glenn has earned the respect of his opponents over time with all that he has achieved. That hasn't changed. He provides impact, defence and variety. Not many bowlers are capable of that. I think that if he is fit, he deserves a chance [to open]."

Andrew Hilditch, the new chairman of selectors, said the panel had not talked about where McGrath would bowl and was currently more concered about monitoring the progress of his comeback. McGrath, who has spent most of the year caring for his sick wife, was named in the 30-man preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy, but there has been debate over whether the Pura Cup competition would provide better preparation for the Ashes than one-day tournaments in Malyasia and India.

"That's generally the role of the captain, deciding the bowling order, but with Glenn it's a matter of monitoring his comeback and seeing how he progresses," Hilditch told the Herald. "When the players meet we will sit down with Glenn and discuss his comeback strategy. We haven't decided yet whether that will be through the Champions Trophy or through first-class cricket." The squad will meet in Brisbane on Tuesday before heading to a secret camp location.