Australian captain Michael Clarke says he doesn’t know his team’s line up for the second Ashes Test, despite the media claiming Shane Watson has been dropped in favour of in-form all-rounder Mitch Marsh.

Speaking the day before the second Test at Lords, Clarke said: “I don’t know the eleven so I don’t know how anybody else does at this stage.”

“Unless the selectors have spoken to the media before they’ve spoken to the captain and the team.”

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Fairfax Media reported veteran all-rounder Shane Watson would miss the second Test after a horror run of form. 

Watson was dismissed cheaply in both innings of the first Ashes Test LBW, meaning he’s been out that way 29 times in his career. 

Youthful all–rounder Mitch Marsh is named in the report as Watson’s replacement, while wicketkeeper Peter Nevill will make his Test debut to replace Brad Haddin.

At 34-years-old, Watson’s dropping puts his Test future in jeopardy.

Watson’s dropping isn’t the first time Clarke has been seemingly out of sync with his side’s selectors.

Before the Test series against India in late 2014 when Clarke was returning from injury, selectors told the captain he must play a tour game if he wanted to be considered for the Test.

However after that announcement Clarke declared himself unfit for the tour game, but said he was still hopeful of a spot in the Test side.

“Obviously I’m not communicating anywhere near as much as I was when I was a selector,” he said at the time.

“I don’t have to see all the emails and have the conversations over the phone and turn up to the meetings.”