Test great Justin Langer says WA batsman Hilton Cartwright deserves to be the frontrunner to bat at No.6 for Australia during the upcoming Ashes series.
Cartwright will battle it out with Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Kurtis Patterson, Marcus Stoinis, Nic Maddinson, and Moises Henriques to land the vacant No.6 spot.
Langer coaches Cartwright at the Warriors, lending some thought that his call might be biased.
But he said Cartwright's first-class average of 50.80 is proof that the 25-year-old deserves first crack during the Ashes.
"Kurtis Patterson averages 41, and the rest of them average under 40," Langer said.
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"So for me, Hilton Cartwright has to be the frontrunner to bat at No.6 for Australia."
Cartwright averaged 27.5 in his two Tests for Australia, and he also offers handy right-arm pace that could prove useful if Australia decide against playing a genuine allrounder.
Shaun Marsh has been in sparkling form this summer, and the 34-year-old is desperate to add to his 23 Tests.
If he misses out on the No.6 spot, his best chance to force his way into the Ashes squad is if the selectors lose faith in opener Matt Renshaw.
Paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile is another WA player pushing hard for an Ashes berth.
Coulter-Nile starred in last week's Shield win over Tasmania, scoring 42 and 52 with the bat, and snaring 1-23 and 3-18 with the ball.
But Langer said Coulter-Nile's exploits with the bat weren't enough to label him a genuine allrounder.
Coulter-Nile's best chance to make it into the Test squad is if either Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, or Josh Hazlewood get injured during or before the Ashes.
"I think he'd be smiling as much as I am if you classified him as a straight-out allrounder," Langer said of Coulter-Nile.
"He would probably laugh."
Coulter-Nile has a history of hamstring, back, and shoulder injuries, with WA selectors opting to rest him for the Shield match against NSW.
Instead, Coulter-Nile will captain a baby-faced WA XI outfit in the two-day tour match against England at the WACA Ground, starting Saturday.
"For Nathan, my preference would be that he doesn't play against England, to be completely frank," Langer said.
"Because why would we give England a look at him?
"That being said, you can have the psychological advantage the other way as well - if he bowls really well, bowls fast and gets some wickets .
"I hope he makes the most of the opportunity - gets a few early scars on the English batsmen if he can - I mean the psychological scars of getting a few wickets."
WA paceman Jason Behrendorff, who was rested from Shield duties last week but will return against NSW, could come into Ashes calculations later in the series.
