Australia keep quicks on field before Test
Scott Bailey |
Australia will go all-out in their one-day World Cup preparation, opting against resting their quicks in next week’s series against England despite the nine-Test summer ahead.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were each named in Australia’s one-day squad on Tuesday, with selectors announcing a full-strength 14-man group and Travis Head as the new opener.
The announcement came at the same time as Australia’s Test squad to take on West Indies in the Frank Worrell Trophy, with no changes made from last summer’s team.
Marcus Harris remains as part of the red-ball group as the back-up batsman after his strong start to the Sheffield Shield season, while Scott Boland is the fourth quick.
But the interesting point will remain the management of the bowlers.
Cummins will lead Australia in both formats, with selectors deciding against putting him on ice for his first series as ODI captain following Aaron Finch’s retirement from the format.
Australia’s three ODIs against England finish just a week before the first Test against West Indies in Perth, with only a three-day gap between that and the Adelaide Test.
Three red-ball matches against South Africa will quickly follow in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, before a four-Test series in India in February.
“There probably may have been (a thought to rest) if we progressed a bit further in the World Cup,” chief selector George Bailey said.
“We were running a couple of contingencies there, depending on how far we get.
“But effectively in the lead up to that Test series, they need to be doing the bowling. So it works out reasonably well that can be done in the matches.
“Hopefully they can be hitting some marks with how many balls they bowl.
“If that works out they can be done in games or in the lead up to the one-dayers, that is excellent. If they need to have a game off, we can do that.”
Harris’s selection in the Test squad comes after he lost his spot at the top of the order after last year’s Boxing Day match.
He remained in the squad for the tour of Pakistan but did not play, and was overlooked for the Sri Lanka tour.
The left-hander has since hit two centuries to start the domestic summer with Victoria, after 726 runs at an average of 42.7 in County cricket.
Meanwhile the likes of Peter Handscomb are expected to be picked in an Australia A squad this week, with the Victorian firming to be taken to the spinning wickets of India.
AUSTRALIA ODI SQUAD V ENGLAND
Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
AUSTRALIA TEST SQUAD V WEST INDIES
Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
AAP
