MELBOURNE: David Warner was the notable omission as Australia announced the white ball squad for the upcoming limited-overs tour of Pakistan.
Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head have been included in the squad while explosive all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will also skip the series to take time off for his wedding. While pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will feature during the Test component of the tour, they will sit out the limited series and return to Australia.
Australia has opted for a versatile 16-player squad that will once again be led by experienced opener Aaron Finch and will feature a bevy of star players. Test batters Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head have all been named in the white ball squad, with Ben McDermott likely to be given another chance at the top of the order in the absence of Warner.
Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey is in the squad, despite not playing a white-ball game for Australia since August, as is Josh Inglis, who enjoyed a stunning debut international series in the recently completed T20s against Sri Lanka. Steve Smith, who suffered a concussion during the Sri Lanka series, has been included despite concerns around his form.
The 16 men who will be representing Australia in the white-ball leg of our upcoming tour of Pakistan ⬇️???????? pic.twitter.com/wUUTtPDov2
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) February 22, 2022
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Australia’s fast bowling stocks will be reliant on the likes of Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Ellis and Kane Richardson. All-rounders Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green will provide some versatile options for selectors, while the ever-reliable Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar have been named as spinning options.
Australia’s National Selection Panel Chair George Bailey admitted it was a difficult task to put together the squad, but remains confident there is enough talent to mix it with the strong Pakistan side.
“We have picked a talented and versatile squad with a number of challenges to juggle, including the tour structure of predominantly 50 over games, management of several multi format players in the medium to long term; and our need to build experience and depth in preparation for two short form World Cups within the next 18 months,” Bailey said. “We’re confident the squad can both compete successfully on this tour and continue our progress towards those crucial tournaments.”
Australia’s ODI and T20 squad
Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
