Uncapped Jeh added to A squad amid left-arm spin search

Zanden Jeh, a 21-year-old from Brisbane who has never played state cricket, will face Sri Lanka next month for Tim Paine-coached Australia A

Australia’s hopes of unearthing long-form left-arm spinners has taken an unconventional turn after adding a 21-year-old who has no senior domestic experience to their 'A' squad.

Zanden Jeh, a Queenslander who took a five-wicket haul and dismissed Glenn Maxwell in the state second XI competition last summer, has been called up by the Tim Paine-coached side to face Sri Lanka A in Darwin next month.

Leading domestic spinners Todd Murphy, Corey Rocchiccioli (both playing county cricket) and Matthew Kuhnemann (in Australia's Test squad in the Caribbean) are all currently playing cricket abroad.

It meant the Australia A squad picked for the five-match series (three one-dayers and two four-dayers) in the Top End did not include a specialist spinner.

Australia A squad for Sri Lanka A series Sam Elliott, Matt Gilkes, Bryce Jackson, Zanden Jeh, Campbell Kellaway, Nathan McSweeney, Jack Nisbet, Mitch Perry, Kurtis Patterson, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Billy Stanlake, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald

Selection chief George Bailey effectively admitted earlier this month that it was not a true 'A' squad given players with "opportunities overseas or tailored off-season programs … weren’t considered for selection".

It is nonetheless an unusual call-up for Jeh, who is set to make his first-class and/or List A debuts in the series. He will then also travel to Chennai later in the month as part of an emerging players' trip to the MRF Academy.

Jeh, whose father Michael was born in Sri Lanka and played first-class cricket in England before settling in Australia, idolised Rangana Herath while growing up in Brisbane and has been on Queensland’s radar for some time.

He took 5-27 in his first Toyota Second XI match last season, against the ACT, before having Maxwell caught on the boundary in a subsequent match at the Junction Oval. He took 27 wickets in Premier Cricket for South Brisbane and added 465 runs.

It is believed he was close to making his senior debut last season for the Bulls, who were impressed by his control of pace as well his athletic fielding and capable batting.

That was not enough to win him a state contract, however, with leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson and right-arm finger spinner Jack Sinfield the two tweakers on Queensland’s books.

Left-arm spin is seen as a vital commodity by Australia for Tests in Asia.

"It is an incredible skill set in the subcontinent and we’ve seen that for many years," Bailey said earlier this year.

"Realistically there’s not a huge amount of players in domestic cricket that are doing it, so it’s something we’re looking to expose."

Australia have ample right-arm spin options with Nathan Lyon, Murphy and Rocchiccioli, but their threadbare left-arm stocks came close to being exposed when Matthew Kuhnemann broke his thumb on the eve of the Sri Lanka tour earlier this year.

Kuhnemann played despite the injury and finished as the series’ leading wicket taker with 16 victims, more even than star tweaker Nathan Lyon.

There were no other left-arm spinners who played in the Sheffield Shield in 2024-25 with Ashton Agar falling out of red-ball contention in Western Australia following Rocchiccioli’s rise.

Jeh will be mentored by Paine along with assistants Adam Griffith and Scott Prestwidge for the A games in Darwin.

Paine, who is also in charge of the Adelaide Strikers in the KFC BBL, has been appointed to a permanent position as Australia A coach.

'It's time to spread my wings': Paine at the BBL draft this week // Getty

The former Test captain is stepping away from his breakfast radio hosting role at SEN to focus on his new position, which will involve leading the A side on a tour of India in September.

The new role will also see him continue to "provide coaching support to the Australian women’s team at selected times throughout the upcoming season", according to CA.

"It’s time to spread my wings," Paine told SEN. "I've been working with Australia A as an assistant coach and the opportunity has come up for me to be the head coach.

"I feel like it’s a hard balancing act to pursue a coaching career and talk in the media. The best way forward now is with one and the opportunity CA has given me to develop my coaching is a really good one.

"The Australia A program is very exciting, there’s a lot of young talent to work with. It’s something I really enjoy doing. I’m very lucky and I’m really looking forward to the next part of my journey."

Other players heading to the MRF Academy include Victoria young guns Ollie Peake, Harry Dixon and Campbell Kellaway, and South Australia Sheffield Shield champions Jason Sangha, Liam Scott and Lloyd Pope.

CA squad for MRF Academy trip (July 31 – August 13): Joel Curtis, Harry Dixon, Zanden Jeh, Campbell Kellaway, Angus Lovell, Rafael MacMillan, Ollie Peake, Lloyd Pope, Niv Radhakrishnan, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachlan Shaw

Australia A v Sri Lanka A, 2025

July 4: First 50-over match | Marrara Cricket Ground (day-night)

July 6: Second 50-over match | Marrara Cricket Ground (day)

July 9: Third 50-over match | Marrara Cricket Ground (day)

July 13 – 16: First four-day match | Marrara Stadium (day)

July 20 – 23: Second four-day match | Marrara Cricket Ground (day)

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