Australia's ever-changing fast bowling ranks continue to evolve as Stuart Clark moved a step closer to a Test debut, while Mitchell Johnson will play his first one-day international on Saturday.

Clark, 30, became the latest beneficiary of Australia's infatuation for thirty-somethings when he was named in a 12-man squad for the first Test against South Africa starting Friday in Perth.

The right-armer, called into this year's Ashes squad as cover for the injured Glenn McGrath, will fight for the right to bowl first change with NSW teammate Nathan Bracken.

Allrounder Andrew Symonds kept his place, while Stuart MacGill was, as expected, left out of the squad because there was no room for two legspinners on a fast WACA wicket.

Johnson, 24, will debut, albeit as a super sub, against New Zealand in the third and final Chappell-Hadlee match, at Jade Stadium. Australia leads the series 2-0.

The Queenslander has been touted a special talent because of his fast left-arm swing and replaces Brett Lee who had skin tissue removed from inside his left nostril so he could breathe through his nose.

Bracken's 4-48 in his last Test, against the West Indies in Brisbane last month, makes Clark the likely 12th man in Perth, but the right-armer does have a good record at the WACA Ground and a good knowledge of South African batsmen from Australia A matches and English county cricket.

"I'll have to talk to (captain) Ricky (Ponting) and the selectors and see what they're thinking and go from there, but I'm in the 12 - and that's better than being 13th or 14th man."

Ponting wanted to give Johnson a decent role on Saturday, alongside Victorians Cameron White and Mick Lewis, who will start in an Australian XI for the second and first time respectively.

A year ago Australia went into a one-day match against the Black Caps with an attack of McGrath, Lee, Jason Gillespie and Brad Hogg, who are missing through resting, health, axing and rotation reasons respectively.

Australia's bowlers for Saturday are Bracken, Lewis, Clark, White and Johnson, with 30 one-day internationals between them, supported by Symonds.

"It's exciting for Australian cricket to see some of the younger talent that's coming through and give them some exposure to the game at this level."

Australia has blooded more bowlers this summer in preparation for when McGrath and Warne retire, and because of the loss of form of Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz during the Ashes.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming believes Australia will be tested post-Warne and McGrath, although he added the world had grown impatient waiting for the champion pair to bow out.

"They will do because the players that they'll lose have been such brilliant players," said Fleming, who will play tomorrow after surgery to remove a benign tumour from his face.

"There will be a period where (Australia) have to refine how they're going to take wickets, change their formula and see what players they have about."

"He had ... a similar sort of thing in his nose that got really infected and went up into his eye and the doctor at the time told him it was possible he could have lost his sight in his eye," Ponting said, although the risk is understood to have been very minimal.

Despite the changing bowling stocks, Ponting threw his support behind batsman Damien Martyn being recalled to the one-day side - despite his Test dumping - once his broken finger mended.

"It's only fair that when someone goes out because of an injury that they should be given the chance to come straight back in again if they'd been playing well leading up to that injury," he said.

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