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Australia have announced a very young ODI squad for the upcoming matches against England – a series which will give the tourists a chance to take something out of this humiliating Ashes tour.
It’s a new-look Australian side, missing six players from their World Cup winning team.
Absent from the 14-man squad are retired pair Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin, rested pacemen Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood, injured opening batsmen Aaron Finch, and suspended all-rounder James Faulkner.
It leaves Australia with a significantly understrength team but offers a chance to several young players who also are pushing for Test selection.
Batsman Joe Burns, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, spinner Ashton Agar, and quicks James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile will all be in strong contention for Australia’s Test tour of Bangladesh in October.
Ricky Ponting suggested that as many as eight members of Australia’s Ashes Test squad may never wear the baggy green again.
Up to four batting spots could open up in Australia’s Test top six, a second spinner will be needed for the Bangladesh tour, and veteran quick Peter Siddle may well be usurped by a younger, quicker alternative.
The one surprising omission from the ODI squad was Queensland strokemaker Usman Khawaja.
The elegant left-hander has a supreme List A record, with 2303 runs at an average of 47, including eight centuries from just 55 games.
Khawaja has been impressive as captain of Australia A on their current tour of India. In three 50-over matches against India A and South Africa A he has scores of 100, 73 and 18.
Those displays came on the back of blazing form for the Bulls over the past two domestic one-day competitions, where he has been easily the leading run-scorer with 949 runs at an average of 73.
Khawaja’s non-selection was all the more perplexing given he is widely considered one of the leading contenders to join the Test top six in Bangladesh.
Just as surprising was the inclusion of Victorian all-rounder Stoinis. With Shane Watson, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell automatic choices in the squad, a fourth all-rounder seems surplus to requirements.
Stoinis certainly does not lack for talent, owning a wide range of strokes and capable of bowling with accuracy and swing. At this point though, he has had greater success in the longer form of the game, with his List A achievements underwhelming.
After catching the eye with his solid batting and reliable medium pacers in the recent four-day games against India A, Stoinis’ ODI selection could indicate he is a leading candidate to join the Test team.
Pattinson and Coulter-Nile both operated with considerable pace in India. The former reportedly has been consistently around 145kmh using a remodelled and more side-on action as he seeks to avoid the back injuries which have plagued him.
With Siddle’s Test career looking like it may well be over, that pair will be at the head of the queue to join the Test squad.
Burns can also use the ODIs against England to push his case for a Test recall. Unlucky to miss out on Australia’s Ashes squad after starting well in his two Tests last summer, Burns looks set to open with David Warner in the ODIs.
Australia’s side will be as youthful as any they have fielded in years, with George Bailey the only player aged 30 or older in my first choice XI.
My first XI for the ODI series against England:
1. David Warner
2. Joe Burns
3. Steve Smith (c)
4. George Bailey
5. Glenn Maxwell
6. Mitch Marsh
7. Matt Wade (wk)
8. Ashton Agar
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Nathan Coulter-Nile
11. James Pattinson
Reserves
12. Pat Cummins
13. Shane Watson
14. Marcus Stoinis
15. Cameron Boyce (Twenty20 only)