Australian selectors back experienced leadership Australian cricketers from left Matthew Wade, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Peter Siddle and Vice Captain Brad Haddin watch a video showing highlights of previous Ashes matches fat the Cricket Australia announcement of the Ashes squad in Sydney. A line in the sand might have been drawn in India, but the selectors have drawn theirs with the unveiling of an Ashes squad that reaches for old-school cricketers and strong leaders. It will, inevitably, be derided as the worst Australian team to tour England, but no one will mind the echoes of 1989 if this squad can repeat the effort of Allan Border's unfancied mob. This touring party is without question the least-credentialled Ashes squad since then, but it is better than the ramshackle 17 that ventured to India with such painful on- and off-field results a couple of months ago. The elevation of Brad Haddin to vice-captain and the inclusion of Chris Rogers are unmistakeable signs of a change in direction. The new emphasis is on leadership and experience, two ingredients that were missing from the team and the dressing room in India. Consigned to history are the experiments with bits-and-pieces players like Glenn Maxwell, who opened the batting and bowling in the most recent Test despite being neither a Test batsman nor a Test bowler at this stage of his career. Gone from the vice-captaincy is Shane Watson, who would have been pushed from the position if he had not stood down himself. The promotion of two 35-year-olds - Haddin and Rogers - will provoke "Dad's Army" cries from England and will be interpreted as a step backwards. In fact, they are decisions for the here and now. Steve Smith might be an unlucky omission but Rogers deserves his place. The left-hander has churned out almost 20,000 first-class runs, including 9375 at 54.19 in England. Only Ricky Ponting and Mark Cosgrove outscored him in the Sheffield Shield last summer. Now he must play, even if that means shunting David Warner down the order. It's no surprise that Australia will stake its campaign on pace and the selection of Ryan Harris ahead of Mitchell Johnson is another sensible choice. Never mind that he is injury-prone; he need only be broken out of bubble wrap for a couple of Tests for maximum impact. With Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird he will form a formidable pace contingent capable of jagging 20 English wickets in conditions that will suit fast bowling. Australia's Ashes triumph in 1989 was built on strong leadership, a spirited dressing room and the coming of age of talented young players such as Steve Waugh. Border's squad was a couple of years further advanced in the rebuilding process than this one, but at least the selectors have taken action on the first two problems. No Australian team since then has travelled to England surrounded by such low expectations.