Wildcard opener Sam Konstas and Cameron Green the aces up Aussie sleeve

Australia have stuck with their tried-and-tested players in naming their squad for the WTC to be played against South Africa at Lord’s from 11-15 June.

The starting XI for the final represents a major headache for Australia, as their Test side has an embarrassing riches of talent available, as befits the defending champions. A key decision will be whether to stick with Travis Head and Usman Khawaja as the opening pair, or to move the free-scoring Head down the order and bring back Maverick opener Sam Konstas in an attempt to rattle the South African pace attack.

Konstas unveiled a constant stream of attacking strokes during his Test debut and his second Test against India earlier in the year. After four matches his average is 28.25, but his strike-rate is 81.88. With the wealth of big-scoring Australian batters to follow, the selectors might gamble on Konstas to rattle the Proteas pacemen, who represent Australia’s greatest threat for the title.

If Head opens then there is place down the order for Cameron Green to regain his place lost through injury, or they could retain Josh Inglis, who made a century on Test debut against Sri Lanka recently. Inglis would also serve as a backup keeper for Alex Carey.

Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann completes a dangerous bowling line-up that includes Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and captain Pat Cummins.

"Cameron Green's returning and Josh Inglis has performed really well. I think with the squad, Pat and Andrew McDonald will have plenty of options as to where they go, but we have been really strong on trying to delineate between the World Test Championship final and then separate out for the West Indies tour," said chair of selectors George Bailey.

South African-born Marnus Labuschagne had been averaging over 60 with the bat in his first years of Test cricket but has had a lean patch of late, and the selectors might consider him to open with Khawaja.

"I think Marnus could open the batting. I think we've got a number of guys who could open the batting, but that's not to say they will. We know what [our XI] is, but we're not announcing it. I just think there's quite a bit to work through... and the Test is another month away," added Bailey.

"I think that will become clearer once we get to the UK and probably get eyes on particularly those fast bowlers that have been playing in India. They're all working pretty hard behind the scenes to make sure they start to ramp up their loads a little bit. But it will be a slightly different preparation, so we'll get a bit of a chance to see where they're at."

Australia's Test side will take on the West Indies in Barbados, Grenada and Jamaica in a Test series that kicks-off just 10 days after the WTC final.

Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc and Beau Webster. Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett.