The selectors were ambivalent about the possibility of a lefty participating in the Ashes series against England after a difficult tour of India, but head coach Andrew MacDonald made a firm recommendation Wednesday.

We’re optimistic about what Dave has left, we picked him into the lineup and we think he’ll play a really important role in the Ashes and the World Test championship, McDonald told Australian radio station SEN.

Warner was included in the Australian squad for the World Cup final against India and the first two Ashes tests, but the selectors kept the option at the top of the lineup, also calling up Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw.

He’s an important part of this lineup, and if he wasn’t there, we’d have a clear checkpoint after the WTC before the Ashes, McDonald added.

That’s not true, we selected our lineup for the first two Ashes tests as well, so he’s clearly in our plans and ready to go.

Aside from a cheeky 200-ball game against South Africa in December, Warner has struggled for points in Tests lately, making a total of 26 balls in three innings during a recent tour of India before returning home with an injury.

He had a tough series in England during the last Ashes tour, posting an average of 9.50, the worst ever for an opener who played 10 innings in a series, with paceman Stuart Broad taking his wicket seven times.

He had better times in 2015, scoring 418 runs at an average of 46.44.

Warner finished the Indian Premier League with 516 runs at an average of 36.86, below his career average of 41.54.He is in good spirits, McDonald said.

I talked to him as recently as yesterday, and he’s ready to go. He’s anxious to get back to camp.

The Ashes series begins June 16 in Edgbaston. Australia owns the urn, winning the 2021-22 series 4-0 at home.