National selector Trevor Hohns on Friday confirmed a shock line-up for the Gabba next week featuring Tasmania's back-up gloveman Tim Paine as wicketkeeper, Shaun Marsh at No.6 and debutant Cameron Bancroft at the top of the order.

News of the bombshell squad, revealed by Fairfax Media on Thursday night, left players and officials stunned as it reverberated around the country.

NSW wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, who had been expected to win a recall at the expense of Matthew Wade, was shattered at being left out, while out-of-form opener Matt Renshaw was similarly disappointed at being dropped.

Despite not having been sacked from Australia's last Test side or picked for the Ashes, Nevill was phoned by Hohns on Thursday night, with the selection chairman explaining that he had not performed well enough with the bat in the opening three Sheffield Shield rounds to usurp Wade.

"I'm extremely disappointed for Nev," NSW coach Trent Johnston said.

"I know how hard he has worked to get back there. His batting stats reflect that in last year's shield. I'm hugely surprised by the decision to go with Tim Paine."

So was Warne, a supporter of Wade who at the launch of Channel Nine's Ashes coverage in Sydney was also taken aback by the inclusion of 32-year-old Paine.

"Australia look confused. They're picking wicketkeepers that aren't even keeping for their state," the leg-spin great said. "To me, I think England are in a better situation going into that first Test than what Australia are."

Paine, 32, has genuinely come from the clouds, seven years after the last of his four Tests. He is Australia's Twenty20 keeper but at Tasmania last season he was stuck behind youngster Jake Doran and this season has watched Wade take the gloves after his move from Victoria. Remarkably, Australia's coach Darren Lehmann scored a first-class hundred more recently, with Paine having not reached three figures since the 215 he posted for Tasmania in 2006.

Nevill, by contrast, scored three shield centuries last season - the equal-most by any player in the competition - after being dumped from the Test side for the more vocal Wade last November.

Hohns said the displays of other wicketkeeping contenders had been unconvincing in the three pre-Ashes shield rounds and selectors had not wanted to reward "mediocre performance". Paine played in only one of those matches, as a batsman, for Tasmania, but scored an unbeaten 71 against Victoria this week to add to a half-century for a Cricket Australia XI against England in Adelaide.

While former Australian keeper Ian Healy on Friday described the glove work of Nevill and Paine as comparable, selectors believe the Tasmanian is the No.1 in the country.

"We obviously showed our hand by asking him to play in the CA XI v England in Adelaide," Hohns said.

"With Tim, it's been widely acknowledged for a small amount of time now that he is regarded as the best gloveman in the country, add that to the fact he is our T20 wicketkeeper and performs very, very well there. His batting has been pretty good of late.

Selectors explained the dumping of Wade and Renshaw in announcing a 13-man squad but the omissions of Glenn Maxwell, who has played in Australia's past four Tests, and Hilton Cartwright, who had featured in their previous outing, did not rate a mention.

Seated next to Hohns at Brisbane airport, Smith welcomed the make-up of the team, saying "we've got a strong balanced squad to go with our quicks and Nathan Lyon".

According to Warne, it is not a side that will strike fear into the hearts of England before next Thursday's first ball is bowled in Brisbane.

"At the moment, the biggest shift where the shift has come over the last few years, is they don't fear Australia anymore," Warne said. "England no longer fear Australia and haven't for a long time and hence that's why they can beat Australia."

Renshaw accepted that he had not scored enough runs to hold out a prolific Bancroft. Former Test captain Mark Taylor said he felt "a little sorry" for the 21-year-old but believes it was the right call.

"I like the fact that if they are going to make a bold decision, make it early," Taylor said.