Selector Merv Hughes stands beside the list of ODI players during the announcement of Australia’s Super Series squads in Sydney on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Sydney: Australia began the search to find their own version of England’s Andrew Flintoff by including two relatively untried allrounders in their squads for next month’s Super Series Test and one-day Internationals against the World XI.

Their failure to develop a quality allrounder proved costly in the recent Ashes loss to England as Flintoff, known as Freddie, tormented Australia with bat and ball.

Australia put their faith in specialists but the lessons of defeat have been learnt with the selectors dumping Matthew Hayden (from the ODI squad), Damien Martyn (from Test squad), Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz (both squads) to introduce some new blood.

Brad Hodge (Test), Shane Watson (both), Stuart MacGill (Test), Shaun Tait (both), Nathan Bracken (ODI) and James Hopes (ODI) made the cut but it was the inclusion of allrounders Watson and Hopes that was most significant.

Watson made his Test debut against Pakistan in January and although he is yet to add to this cap, the 24-year-old is regarded as one of Australia’s brightest prospects.

A powerful middle-order batsman and deceptively quick first-change bowler, Watson came to prominence when he was selected for the 2003 World Cup.

He was forced to pull out of the tournament because of a back problem but has since played 37 ODIs and recently scored a double century for Hampshire in England.

Hopes is another exciting allrounder whose lethal combination of medium pace bowling and clean hitting presents the selectors with a range of options.

TEST SQUAD

Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Tait, Stuart MacGill.

ODI SQUAD

Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain), Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Shane Watson, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Tait, Mike Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Brad Hogg, Michael Clarke, James Hopes, Nathan Bracken.