Australia names full-strength squads for Sri Lanka tour

PTI, Apr 29, 2022, 10:02 AM IST

Image credit: AP Photo/Anjum Naveed,File

Melbourne: Australia will be at close to full strength for all three legs of its Sri Lankan tour as 34 players were named Friday for the all-format matches in June and July.

Marcus Harris was the biggest surprise after not being named in the 16-man test squad which will play two matches in Galle to end the seven-week tour. The tour begins with three Twenty20 matches followed by five one-day internationals.

Star players Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, and Glenn Maxwell have all returned to the limited-overs squads having missed the recent white-ball games in Pakistan.

It will be new head coach Andrew McDonald’s first tour with the team.

Test captain Pat Cummins will sit out the T20 matches while first-choice spinner Adam Zampa will miss the entire tour due to the impending birth of his first child.

Fringe players could still push their cases for inclusion in the test series in the two four-day games for Australia A in Hambantota.

“It’s incredibly exciting to have an Australia A component which offers the further flexibility and opportunity for players to be available for and cross over into all squads,” said selection chief George Bailey.

“That could be from a test or white-ball preparation perspective or an opportunity to impress at an international level.”

Australia squads:

Test: Pat Cummins (captain), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.

ODI: Aaron Finch (captain), 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.

Twenty20: Aaron Finch (captain), 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 tour of Sri Lanka:

• June 7: 1st T20, Colombo
• June 8: 2nd T20, Colombo
• June 11: 3rd T20, Kandy.
• June 14: 1st ODI, Kandy
• June 16: 2nd ODI, Kandy
• June 19: 3rd ODI, Colombo
• June 21: 4th ODI, Colombo
• June 24: 5th ODI, Colombo
• June 29-July 3: 1st test, Galle
• July 8-12: 2nd test, Galle

Australia A matches

• June 8: 1st one-day game, Colombo
• June 10: 2nd one-day game, Colombo
• June 14-17: First-class tour match Hambantota
• June 21-24: First-class tour match, Hambantota.

(AP)