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Follow UsCricket Australia has named four squads - including an Australia A team - to tour Sri Lanka in June. Test skipper Pat Cummins rested from the T20Is, as legspinner Adam Zampa is set to miss the tour due to the birth of his first child.
The visitors will play three T20Is, five ODIs, and two Tests in Sri Lanka in June and July. Moreover, they have added an A tour too. The Australia A team is set to play two 50-over matches in Colombo and two four-day games in Hambantota. During that time, the senior team simultaneously engages in the T20I and ODI series.
Image - The Guardian
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The same A squad has been selected for both formats, with no captain named for either format yet. Australia's chairman of selectors George Bailey was pleased to name near full-strength squads for the T20Is and ODIs. However, Australia continues to build towards the T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup next year in India.
"These are very targeted to skill sets, and what we see as the bulk of the squad for the home T20 World Cup and looking further forward to the ODI World Cup."
Australia's chairman of selectors George Bailey said
"We were able to continue to build our depth with great white ball performances in Pakistan on the back of a superb Test Series. As selectors, this has been one of the most rewarding parts amid the challenges of the past few years." Bailey added.
Maxwell, Smith, Warner, Marsh, and Starc return to the white ball squad
Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Jhye Richardson, and Kane Richardson all missed the white-ball series in Pakistan, but have returned for the Sri Lanka tour. However, Wade, Jhye Richardson, and Kane Richardson were picked only for the T20Is.
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The absence of Ben McDermott from all four squads is the only surprise. His performances in the ODI series against Pakistan were brilliant. Ben made his maiden ODI century and a half-century in the three-match series. The return of Warner, Maxwell, Marsh, and Smith has created a squeeze for spots. Moreover, Travis Head retains his place after a phenomenal return to limited-overs cricket in Pakistan.
Australia A squad has also been selected with a primary focus on red-ball cricket. Along with McDermott Peter Handscomb, Matt Renshaw, and Nic Maddinson is behind the likes in the red-ball batting stakes.
"Really happy with what he did on the Pakistan tour, he's just been squeezed out of the Australian squads given the return of the number of players in the roles that he was playing."
George Bailey said
"And Australia A tour the focus on that is the two red-ball games. The two one-dayers were added a little bit late, later than then as we were planning, and we didn't really want to change our focus and split that squad.
"He's just behind a couple of those others that are in that squad at the moment. But again, really happy with what he did in Pakistan. As we've said to him over the last couple of days, he's enhanced his reputation. Now it's just about getting another opportunity." Bailey Said.
Australia Test squad:
Pat Cummins (C)
Ashton Agar
Scott Boland
Alex Carey
Cameron Green
Josh Hazlewood
Travis Head
Josh Inglis
Usman Khawaja
Marnus Labuschagne
Nathan Lyon
Mitchell Marsh
Steve Smith (vc)
Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Swepson
David Warner
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Australia T20I squad:
Aaron Finch (C)
Sean Abbott
Ashton Agar
Josh Hazlewood
Josh Inglis
Mitchell Marsh
Glenn Maxwell
Jhye Richardson
Kane Richardson
Steve Smith
Mitchell Starc
Marcus Stoinis
Mitchell Swepson
Matthew Wade
David Warner
Australia ODI squad:
Aaron Finch (C)
Ashton Agar
Alex Carey
Pat Cummins
Cameron Green
Josh Hazlewood
Travis Head
Josh Inglis
Marnus Labuschagne
Mitchell Marsh
Glenn Maxwell
Steve Smith
Mitchell Starc
Marcus Stoinis
Mitchell Swepson
David Warner
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Australia A squad:
Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Peter Handscomb, Aaron Hardie, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nic Maddinson, Todd Murphy, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Tanveer Sangha, Mark Steketee.
The A squad features some new names, with the selectors keen to trial a trio of young spinners in Tanveer Sangha, Todd Murphy, and Matthew Kuhnemann with an eye to the future beyond offspinner Nathan Lyon, who turns 35 later this year.
Western Australia allrounder Aaron Hardie is in the squad for the first time. Recently, he had a stunning performance in the recent Sheffield Shield final, where he took 3 for 54 and made 174*. Overall in the 2021-22 Shield season, he hit 238 runs at an average of 119, besides taking ten wickets at 14.
The series will kickstart with the T20Is on June 7 followed by ODIs on June 14 and Tests from June 29. The matches will be played in the following three stadiums in Sri Lanka - Colombo, Kandy, and Galle.