The futures of some leading Australian cricketers will go under the spotlight on Thursday when selectors decide on the Ashes touring squad.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said his panel faced one of its toughest meetings in recent times, with several players under pressure to make the English Test series in July.

Hohns would not discuss individual cases but the former Test spinner said selectors would look beyond last month's series loss in India.

"There are a few people who will come under scrutiny and that's not just because of the Indian series. There is no need to panic after losing that," Hohns said today.

"Performances over the last couple of series will be scrutinised and it will probably be one of the toughest (meetings) we've sat through for some time."

That could spell a warning for the likes of top-order batsmen Justin Langer and Michael Slater, who have struggled for consistency in the last six months. Langer has struggled in his last two series, scoring 364 runs at an average of 28, while Slater has scored one century in his last 27 completed Test innings.

While Damien Martyn waits desperately for another crack at Test level, selectors can also consider a bunch of quality batsmen including Simon Katich, Greg Blewett, Brad Hodge, Jamie Cox and Martin Love.

It is believed captain Steve Waugh wants the touring squads named as soon as possible and selectors will meet in Brisbane on Thursday to settle on a 15-man Test squad and 14 players for June's one-day series.

But the door could be left open for a younger player to join the most prestigious tour in Australian cricket.

"We really haven't discussed anything yet but we're looking at 15 players for the Tests with the slight possibility of one more, which won't necessarily be a reserve wicketkeeper," Hohns said.

Waugh has already thrown some support behind leg-spinner Shane Warne, who is gunning for one of two spinning positions with Stuart MacGill and Colin Miller. Warne is almost certain to make his third Ashes touring squad despite the claims of fellow leg-spinner MacGill, who has 27 wickets from his four Ashes Tests.

MacGill enhanced his chances in front of Hohns when he bowled superbly for New South Wales in a domestic match against Queensland last month.

But Warne, whose Test average is now worse than MacGill and Miller, has an excellent Ashes record. He has taken 58 Test wickets in England at an average of 25.06 while also returning impressive figures during his first county stint for Hampshire last year.

The Australian spinners will face a renewed challenge from England's batsmen, who defused cricket's most dangerous spinner last month. Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan finished with an average of more than 30 in his home series against England, who recorded an emphatic 2-1 victory.

But England has not held the Ashes since Allan Border's Australians reclaimed the urn in 1989.

Australian selectors will meet again later this month to decide on the 25 players to receive Australian Cricket Board contracts for the next year.

© 2001 AAP