Western Australia coach Justin Langer is confident he can retain spinners Michael Beer and Ashton Agar beyond this season.
Beer has been handed a golden chance to resurrect his Sheffield Shield career after earning a recall for WA’s clash with Tasmania at the WACA Ground, starting on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Victorian has endured a tough time on the selection front since a shoulder injury cost him the chance to go on tour with Australia’s Test team a year ago.
The injury allowed emerging spinner Ashton Agar to leapfrog Beer in the pecking order, with the 20-year-old making a spectacular Test debut during Australia’s failed Ashes campaign in England last year.
Agar has pipped Beer for selection during this summer’s Shield campaign.
But with Agar serving a one-match suspension for dissent, Beer will play his first Shield match in 15 months.
Although both spinners face a selection battle in the remaining games of the season, Langer felt it was unlikely either of them would leave the State in order to seek further opportunities.
“If you look all around Australia, every state has two or three spinners,” Langer said on Tuesday.
“We’re thrilled to have them both here.
“They are both a very important part of our squad.
“They are both committed to WA cricket for the long term. I’d be surprised if they looked outside of WA.”
The Warriors sit third on the Shield table, but face a stiff challenge against a fifth-placed Tigers outfit boasting former Test players George Bailey, Ben Hilfenhaus, Xavier Doherty, Ed Cowan and Tim Paine.
WA will be boosted by the return of opener Marcus North and allrounder Nathan Coulter-Nile, but Shaun Marsh will leave a big hole following his call-up to Australia’s Test squad.
Western Australia: Adam Voges (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ryan Duffield, Marcus Harris, Michael Hogan, Mitch Marsh, Marcus North, Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman. Tasmania: George Bailey (capt), Tim Paine, Luke Butterworth, Mark Cosgrove, Ed Cowan, Xavier Doherty, Ben Dunk, Andrew Fekete, Evan Gulbis, Ben Hilfenhaus, Sam Rainbird, Jon Wells