Australia announces preliminary squad for ODI World Cup 2023 & IND-SA Series. And there comes a maiden call-up for Aaron Hardie, Nathan Ellis & Tanveer Sangha who have been rewarded for their extraordinary performances. While Australia’s standout player Marnus Labuschagne has been excluded from the announced squad. This comes as a major blow for the swashbuckling batter who has displayed in Australia’s every ODI series for the last three years.
Sangha & Ellis are set to make their International debut with the ODI series against South Africa & India. This is also a golden opportunity for the duo who are yet to step into the International player. If they perform well in these series then they can make a cut into the final squad for ODI World Cup 2023. Further Cricket Australia confirmed that all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will miss the ODI series against South Africa as he has been granted leave & will join the Australian team in India for their ODIs against India.
Cummins will return to Australia Preliminary Squad for ODI World Cup 2023
Further, there comes a huge setback for the Australian team as their Skipper Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the South Africa T20Is & will join the team directly in South Africa for the ODI series in order to gear up for World Cup in 2023. Cummins suffered a wrist injury during the final Ashes Test & will undergo six weeks of rehabilitation. He will be fit until South Africa ODIs & will miss three match t20I series against the Proteas.
According to Chair of Selectors George Bailey,
“Pat sustained an injury to his left wrist while diving during a fielding session at The Oval on the first day. Medical examination revealed an undisplaced fracture of his left radius, necessitating a six-week rehabilitation period. The expectation is for Pat to rejoin the squad during the South African ODI Series. The enforced rest period is being seen as a beneficial element prior to the crucial World Cup campaign. Despite this setback, there remain several upcoming matches that Pat could participate in before the World Cup, ensuring ample opportunity for a robust preparation.”
Big Names Miss out from T20I Squad for South Africa T20I Series
Just before South Africa ODIs, the team will also play three-match T20I series. And the management has rested big names for the shortest format of the game. This move has been taken inorder to manage the workload of senior players so that they can stay fresh for South Africa & India ODI series ahead of the World Cup 2023. Mitchell Marsh will lead the second-string squad that will not have the likes of Starc, Hazlewood, Warner, Cummins, and Green.
Meanwhile, Aaron Hardie who is a regular in the Australia A squad finds a spot in the T20I squad as well. South Australian Spencer Johnson & Victorian Matt Short receives a reward after being included in the national team for the first time. While Jason behrendorff will feature in the Australian team for the first time after being selected for the Pakistan Tour 2022.
Speaking about Mitchell Marsh’s inclusion to the white ball team Bailey said that Mitch has held a prominent role as a senior figure in the white ball setup, and this presents an occasion for him to enhance his leadership proficiency on the international stage, as articulated by Bailey.
Spencer & Matt are potential prospects for the ODI World Cup 2023 Squad
Moreover, Aaron, Spencer, and Matt have showcased remarkable performances in the BBL, marking them as potential future prospects for the national team. Aaron’s commendable showings for Australia A and the Scorchers, along with Matt’s development as a reliable opener for the Strikers, have not gone unnoticed. Spencer’s skillful utilization of left-arm pace and bounce yielded impressive results during his debut season with the Heat. This journey holds tremendous value as an invaluable experience for these three players, affording them the opportunity to represent their nation in competitive matches for the first time, Bailey emphasized.
Notably the 18-member squad will first play five ODI in South Africa followed by their Tour of India where they will play three ODIs ahead of the World Cup 2023. This 18-member squad will further reduce to 15 member squad until September 5 but notable changes to this squad can be made till September 28.
Australia Preliminary Squad for ODI World Cup 2023/ SA & IND ODI Series
Pat Cummins (C), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Australia Squad for South Africa T20I Series
Mitchell Marsh (C), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
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