Mitchell Marsh undertakes captaincy for both the T20Is and ODIs in Australia‘s forthcoming tours of Scotland and England, alongside Pat Cummins sidelined for the entire 11-game series. Rising opener Jake Fraser-McGurk is ready to take the place of David Warner at the peak, while 20-year-old Cooper Connolly gaining a chance at the national team.
Connolly, who performs for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League (BBL), had an excellent season in the previous year, contributing 181 runs in 11 matches with a strike rate overtaking 130. If chosen, Connolly is anticipated to be included as a finisher in the playing XI.
Matthew Wade and Ashton Agar are remarkably missing from the squad, along with Josh Inglis likely to manage the wicketkeeping work. Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will be sidelined from the T20Is against England and Scotland to regulate their workload but will be ready for the ODIs.
Joining them for the ODIs will be Matthew Short, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, and Sean Abbott.
Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Josh Hazlewood, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
Australia ODI squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
Australia’s head selector finds the upcoming six months crucial for merging new players into the team
Meanwhile, Australia’s chief selector George Bailey commented on the selections, noting that the absence of Matthew Wade and David Warner presents an excellent opportunity to introduce new talent.
He expressed confidence that players such as Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Spencer Johnson, and Aaron Hardie will soon be key figures in their lineup. Bailey stated this to cricket.com.au.
“This tour gives us a great opportunity to bring in some new players in the absence of David Warner and Matthew Wade, as well as giving some senior players time to prepare for the home summer and a busy first half of next year.”
“We are particularly pleased to offer Cooper his first opportunity in the T20 squad having introduced the likes of Jake, Spencer, Xavier and Aaron in the past 12 months. They are exciting prospects to join the likes of Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis in the white-ball setup,” he added.
Three-match ODI series of Australia in Scotland is planned on September 4, 6, and 7 for Edinburgh. The T20 series against England will commence on September 13, after the beginning of the 50-over fixtures on the 19th.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
