Selectors include uncapped Hilton Cartwright in the Australia squad for the Boxing Day Test

Australia, in an attempt to add depth to the side, has included uncapped Hilton Cartwright, the Zimbabwe-born 24-year-old, in their 12 man squad for the second Test against Pakistan starting on Boxing Day (December 26) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Western Australia batsman is expected to play the role of an all-rounder in the team.

The selectors state Cartwright was brought as an “ability to bowl seam-up and bat in the top six, if required” and ease the workload of a tired bowling attack. He has 890 runs from 16 first-class matches at 44.5, and has taken 15 wickets. Against India A in September this year, he was the top-scorer in the second four-day game, making a 193-ball 117 in the drawn contest.

“The bowlers got through a high workload in Brisbane and although everyone has pulled up okay, on reflection we wanted to give ourselves the option of including an all-rounder in Melbourne to ease that workload somewhat,” said Trevor Hohns, the interim chairman of selectors. “To do that, we wanted a batting all-rounder, someone to bowl seam-up and capable of batting in the top six as well, and after considering several names we came to the conclusion that Hilton fits that bill.”

Earlier this month, Cartwright played in the Australia’s ODI team for their three matches against New Zealand but could win a place in the starting XI.

Picked over Mitchell Marsh, Cartwright is one of the many new faces brought in this season as Australia struggled in the Test format with five straight Test losses. He could come into the playing XI at No. 6 in place of Nic Maddinson, who has scores of 0, 1 and 4 in his two Tests so far.

Australia squad: Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith (capt), Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Hilton Cartwright, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.