Forgotten legspinner Fawad Ahmed is set for his Sheffield Shield return after almost a year out of first-class cricket.
Ahmed has been named in first-placed Victoria's 12-man squad to face Western Australia from Wednesday, replacing veteran batsman Rob Quiney.
The 35-year-old helped the Bushrangers to claim victory in the past two Shield seasons and was the competition's leading wicket-taker in 2014-15 but had found himself on the outer this season.
Victorian coach Andrew McDonald has favoured left-arm spinner Jon Holland, who has taken 38 wickets - the second most for the season behind South Australia's Chadd Sayers.
"Fawad was unlucky not to be included but Holland played Tests in the off-season so he gets first crack at that position and we hope he can make it his own," McDonald said at the start of the season.
"Fawad will be there in the wings and we hope there will be competition for all spots."
The Pakistan-born Ahmed, who sought asylum in Australia and was picked in 2013 in the one-day and T20 international squads. He has not played for the Bushrangers since their seven-wicket defeat of the Redbacks in last year's Shield final.
With two rounds remaining, Victoria remain a win clear of the Redbacks and third-placed Warriors.
Wednesday's match will be played at Traeger Park in Alice Springs, which will also be the venue for the Shield final starting on March 26, should the Bushrangers earn hosting rights.
Cricket authorities have ceded rights to the MCG to the AFL over that period, with the league's opening round of the 2017 season to take place on the weekend of the Shield final.
