Big guns named for Queensland's Shield opener

Usman Khawaja will play his first match of the home summer after being named for Queensland's Sheffield Shield opener as he begins his build towards this summer's Ashes.

The Marnus Labuschagne-led Bulls were today the first team to unveil their squad for round one of the Shield season with the Australian duo included in the 13 to face Tasmania at Allan Border Field beginning on Saturday.

Queensland round one squad v Tasmania: Marnus Labuschagne (c), Hugo Burdon, Jack Clayton, Benji Floros, Hayden Kerr, Usman Khawaja, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Mitchell Swepson, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth

The opening round action sees Australia's Test opener square off against one of the men vying to partner him in the first Test against England, with Jake Weatherald entering the new campaign after strong performances for Australia A over the winter, which included scoring 183 against Sri Lanka A in July.

Tasmanian opener Weatherald – last Shield season's leading run-scorer – is among several batters pushing for an Ashes call up during the first three rounds of the season following Sam Konstas' lean run in the Caribbean.

Incumbent Konstas has started the summer strongly as he fights to retain his Test spot, scoring a century in a NSW intra-squad game before following it up with another for Australia A in their high-scoring first four-day match of this month's tour of India.

Konstas has returned from India and is expected to line up for NSW in their Shield opener against Western Australia in Perth.

Labuschagne is another pushing for a Test recall after being dropped for Konstas prior to this year's series against West Indies. The Queenslander also started the season with a century in their first up One-Day Cup win over Victoria.

Veteran batter Khawaja sat out the Bulls opening two 50-over matches following a prearranged agreement between Cricket Australia and Queensland to prioritise his preparation for the start of the Shield season.

"Queensland Cricket will work with Cricket Australia and support their plans for Khawaja's individual playing preparations between now and the opening Test of the Ashes series on November 21," Queensland Cricket said in a statement.

The 38-year-old was part of the Bulls' Shield final loss to South Australia last season, scoring two and 21, but hasn't played any cricket since the third Test against West Indies in early July.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald backed Khawaja to start the Test summer against England following his side's 3-0 sweep of West Indies, with conditions at Allan Border Field on Saturday likely to be friendlier for batting than those he faced in the Caribbean where his 47 in the first Test was his top score for the series.

There are set to be at least three Shield rounds before Australia names their Ashes squad, providing plenty of opportunities for the likes of Weatherald, Labuschagne, Konstas, South Australia's Nathan McSweeney and others to stake a claim.

Test allrounder Beau Webster is expected to play for Tasmania against Queensland in round one, as is Caleb Jewell, with the left-hander fresh off a 1000-run county campaign for division two side Derbyshire over the winter.

The Bulls have included rising star Hugh Weibgen for a potential first-class debut following his match-winning century against WA last week in just his second match senior game for Queensland.

Experienced quick Mark Steketee will miss the match with a hamstring injury but is hopeful of playing his first match of the season in next Thursday's 50-over clash with the Tigers, while batter Lachlan Hearne and pace bowlers Tom Straker and Xavier Bartlett are unavailable due to Australia A's one-day series in India.

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