Australia are expected to name Tim Paine in their side for the clash with England in Brisbane
Former Australia spinner Stuart MacGill had laid into his country's selectors, calling them 'morons masquerading as mentors'.
MacGill's outburst came on Twitter on Thursday following the emergence of news that Tim Paine was set to be called into the Baggy Green squad for the first Ashes Test.
Paine, who hasn't scored a first-class hundred since 2006 and started the Sheffield Shield season out of the Tasmanian team, will be a surprise selection for the clash with England.
And MacGill - an advocate of Peter Nevill for the gloves - was quick to make his opinion known.
He wrote: "If @pmnevill isn't being selected because he doesn't score enough runs then perhaps the Australian captain should remember the day he was first selected for an Ashes series."
Stuart MacGill won 44 Test caps
The tweet references the early struggles with the bat of Steve Smith, who made one half-century in six innings after being drafted into the Australia squad for the visit of England in 2010/11.
In a separate tweet, MacGill wrote: "Ashes selections.... made by morons mascarading as mentors. Times up gents.
"How about we pick a player who can do the job he's selected for. Forget Ferry McFerryface, let's vote on the idiots that pick the Australian cricket team."
MacGill, who recently settled a $2.6million lawsuit against Cricket Australia after claiming the governing body had neglected or failed to pay him injury payments over a two-year period, won 44 Test caps for his country.
He played his final game for Australia in June 2008.
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.