Andrew McDonald has point to prove
Andrew McDonald knows he must impress in Australia's two warm-up matches if he is to rubber-stamp his spot for Ashes.
Speaking in Melbourne just hours before leaving for the United Kingdom, the allrounder admitted he faced competition from injury-prone fellow all-rounder Shane Watson and a battery of fast bowlers before he can step out in the Ashes opener in Cardiff from July 8.
"Obviously I played the last Test (in South Africa) but Shane was unavailable for that," McDonald said.
"There are a couple of tour games leading in, I think they'll tell the story."
McDonald has featured in Australia's past four Tests - the final clash of the home summer against South Africa at the SCG and the return bout in South Africa a month later.
A good prospect
Praised for his ability to hold up an end with the ball, the medium-pacer has nine wickets at 33.33 but he has struggled with the bat, averaging a modest 21.4 although he notched his maiden Test half-century in his last innings.
He has batted at number six, number seven and number eight, suggesting Australia is unsure what to do with him.
"I think as an all-rounder you would probably want to bat in the top six somewhere but, obviously, with the way the team balance is at the moment, I am happy to bat anywhere," McDonald said.
Will Watson play?
Watson is a better batsman but the question, as always with the Queenslander, will be whether his body can withstand the rigours of a long series.
Spearhead and emerging all-rounder Mitchell Johnson is a certain starter in the XI but fellow quicks Peter Siddle, Stuart Clark, Ben Hilfenhaus and an under-pressure Brett Lee still have work to do to impress skipper Ricky Ponting and the national selectors.
"Obviously Pete Siddle had a fantastic tour of South Africa as well," McDonald said.
"Brett Lee is a fantastic performer, 300-odd Test wickets, so there are a few vying for that Test spot.
"And obviously Ben Hilfenhaus - who knows what the English conditions will hold for him. I think a lot is going to be told in those two tour games."
McDonald is one of six specialist Test players leaving on Monday to join team-mates already in England at their pre-series camp in Leicester.
The tourists will have their opening first-class match against Sussex at Hove from June 24-27 and their final warm-up clash against the English Lions at Worcester from July 1-4.
ICC World T20 exit to help
McDonald said Australia's failed Twenty20 World Cup campaign in England could actually help its Ashes hopes.
"I suppose the negative is we got knocked out, the positive is that we have got a little bit more time to prepare for the Ashes," he said.
"Anytime you have more time to acclimatise and prepare, it can only be a good thing.
"We will put our plans in place and prepare to take down the English."
War on
Former England fast bowler Bob Willis has already attempted to unsettle the flame-headed McDonald, describing him as a lookalike for "Ronald McDonald" and "an all-round clown".
McDonald, 28, can expect more of the same from the British media when he arrives.
"I think we are all expecting a few little gibes from the English media," he said.
"There's a few characters running around there, it's all good fun. It's all good humour."
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