Cricket Australia have announced a 26-member preliminary squad for the limited over’s series against England, to be held later this year.
Australia have named the squad taking into consideration the upcoming T20 World Cup and 2023 World Cup. Players with the likes of Sams, Meredith and Phillipe have been included on the back their impressive performances in the Big Bash League and other domestic tournaments.
Furthermore, Glenn Maxwell has also been added as he would be seen making a return to the Australian team after a long break.
The 31-year old Australian cricketer hasn’t played for Australia since October.
Test cricket mainstays, such as Usman Khawaja and Travis Head have also been included in the preliminary squad, while Andrew Tye, who has not been offered a state contract by Western Australia this season, has also made the cut.
The likes of Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile, who all were part of Australia’s 2019 World Cup squad, are some of the notable exclusions in the squad.
Here’s a look at the 26-member preliminary squad announced by Australia:
Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Michael Neser, Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, D’Arcy Short, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
Australia were scheduled to play three ODIs and as many as T20 Internationals in April this year. However, the series got postponed due to Coronavirus. Both the cricket boards are now planning to schedule a series in the UK in September.
The final squad will be announced as and when the tour gets confirmed.
“Naming a 26-player squad will give a head start to the game and a clarity to all the players. The ECB are a long-standing and valued international cricket partner and we are doing all we can to give the tour the best possible chance of taking place. We continue to work with the ECB and government agencies and a decision on the tour will be made in due course,” said Executive General Manager of National Teams, Ben Oliver.
“In the meantime, the identification of a preliminary list will enable us to work with players and states more directly on the preparation for the tour in the hope it can proceed. The health and wellbeing of players and staff, along with our commitment to public health within our communities, remain our utmost priority.” he added.
