Melbourne, (Hindustan Republic). Australia on Wednesday announced a 15-player provisional squad for the ICC World Cup 2023. Marnus Labushen’s place has not been found in the team, while injured players Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell have been included.
At the same time, Sean Abbott made it to the World Cup team for the first time. Josh Inglis has been included as the backup wicketkeeper and additional batting option. The squad can be amended till September 28 after which ICC approval will be required.
Ellis, Aaron Hardie and Tanveer Sangha are the three players left out of the final squad from the original 18-player group selected for the tours of South Africa and India earlier this month.
Australia’s preparations for the World Cup have been somewhat disorganized due to a number of injuries to first-choice players. Cummins and Smith both suffered wrist injuries during the Ashes, ruling them out of the ODI series in South Africa, while Starc has been ruled out with a groin problem.
Meanwhile, Maxwell, who was due to miss South Africa’s ODIs due to the birth of his first child, returned home early due to discomfort in his ankle and is likely to exercise caution ahead of the World Cup.
National selector George Bailey said, “All the big players are in good shape to come back in the coming weeks and potentially be selected for the upcoming series against India. There are still eight ODIs to be played in South Africa and India before the final squad is announced. They will be followed by two World Cup warm-up matches, which provide ample opportunity to continue preparing for the tournament.
Legspinner Sangha grabbed everyone’s attention last week after impressing in the T20I series against South Africa, where he was called up for a last-minute debut when Adam Zampa was taken ill. However, the selectors have picked two frontline spinners in the squad – Zampa and Ashton Agar – to complement Maxwell and Travis Head.
One of the major decisions the selectors will have to make in the coming weeks is who will open the batting. Mitchell Marsh’s T20 form and his performances against India in March have put him in a strong case to retain the top-order, while Head has been in fine form since returning to ODIs.
Warner missed the first two matches of the India series earlier this year and when he returned, he opened at No.4 alongside Head and Marsh. It is likely that Smith will retain his position at number 3.
Australia will begin its World Cup campaign against India on October 8 in Chennai.
Australia’s ODI World Cup team is as follows – Pat Cummins (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
Source: dainikbhaskarup.com
: Language Inputs
This post is sourced from newspapers, magazines and third-party websites. For more information please check NewsDay Express Disclaimer.
