Khairul Alam , Sports Desk – Australia has opted to rest their premier pace trio—Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood—for the upcoming white-ball tour of Bangladesh.
In their absence, the national selectors have introduced a fresh wave of talent, including maiden call-ups for batting sensation Oliver Peake and all-rounder Liam Scott.
Major Absentees and New Faces
The squad overhaul isn’t limited to the bowling department. Power-hitter Glenn Maxwell will miss the series due to his commitments in Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA.
Additionally, veteran Steve Smith has been dropped from the T20I side, while Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Short have also been excluded from this experimental lineup.
To bolster the pace attack, Australia has recalled Spencer Johnson, Riley Meredith, and Billy Stanlake.
Notably, the towering Stanlake returns to the national side for the first time since 2019 after overcoming a long injury layoff.
Strategic Rest for the Pace Trio
Chief Selector George Bailey explained that the decision to rest the “Big Three” pacers was made to manage their fitness following a grueling IPL season. This break ensures they remain fresh for the high-stakes Test series against Bangladesh scheduled for August.
Tour Schedule
The series kicks off in Dhaka before moving to Chattogram:
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ODI Series (Mirpur): June 9, 11, and 14.
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T20I Series (Chattogram): June 17, 19, and 21.
Official Australian Squads
ODI Squad:
Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Adam Zampa.
T20I Squad:
Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Adam Zampa.