Brendan Doggett believes he is “in the prime of his career”, and South Australia coach Ryan Harris is convinced the seamer could slip straight into an Ashes XI should Australia’s injury list lengthen.
Doggett spent last summer around the Test squad, having first appeared on the national radar during the 2018 tour of the UAE. He also travelled as reserve for the World Test Championship final against South Africa. A hip complaint ruled him out of the recent West Indies trip, but medical staff say he should be fit for the opening round of the Sheffield Shield, after which his workload will be monitored with Cricket Australia.
Australia’s pace depth has been tested by Pat Cummins’ ongoing back problem. Scott Boland is the obvious next cab off the rank; Doggett, though, may be only one more setback away from a debut.
“He’s had a really good winter,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo. “He came back from the World Test Championship with a couple of niggles [but] he had good time to let them heal.”
The coach added that Doggett followed “a really good programme” and was excused from a Darwin pre-season camp to finish his rehab in Adelaide. “We’ve got a couple of trial games [this week] which he’ll bowl some good overs in,” Harris continued. “What I’ve seen in training, he’s up and about. He’s ready to go. He’s bowling fast and he’s moving the ball, which is good. He’ll definitely start for us.”
Doggett’s recent promotion owed much to a career-best 6 for 15 for Australia A against India A in Mackay. He closed the domestic summer with 11 wickets in the Sheffield Shield final—South Australia beat Queensland to retain the title—finishing the campaign with 44 first-class wickets at 20.56, following 32 at 21.90 the season before.
“He knows what he needs to do. He knows when he has step it up and bowl quick and knows he can control his pace. He’s in the prime of his career now. There’s no doubt that if Brendan gets a call, I have absolute full confidence in that he can go in and do a good job in that team,” Harris said.
The selectors now face a familiar balancing act: giving their quicks enough overs before the Ashes while not over-cooking them. The current plan has Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood sharing ODI duties in India, with at least one Shield outing for New South Wales. Boland, who thrives on rhythm rather than rest, is pencilled in for similar.
Doggett’s task is simpler—stay on the park and keep the ball talking. His ability to hit the seam at brisk pace, complemented by late swing, makes him a natural understudy to the senior group. The national panel also value his improved consistency; two years ago, he wrestled with whether to chase movement or sheer speed, but technical tweaks have sharpened both.
For South Australia, having a bowler on the edge of Test honours is double-edged. They want his wickets yet recognise national duty may intervene. Harris, a former Test quick himself, is philosophical. “You can’t hold them back. If the country needs him, that’s the biggest tick you can get as a state coach.”
Should Doggett play, he would become the fifth Indigenous male Test cricketer for Australia, following Jason Gillespie, Scott Boland, Ash Gardner and Josh Haze—an achievement Harris feels would “mean a lot more than just a baggy green”.
For now, the focus is the Shield opener. Doggett has bowled at near-match intensity in the nets and is expected to take the new ball. Another strong month may push him past the ‘next in line’ tag and into a genuine selection debate.
Selectors, physios and analysts alike will be watching closely. One more injury in the pace pack and Doggett’s phone could ring. By all accounts, he’ll be packed and ready.
