With Australia’s Test players unavailable for selection thanks to the tour of India, the T20 squad named to face Sri Lanka will be an inexperienced one, with Aaron Finch to skipper the side and Michael Klinger to make his international debut aged 36.
Due to a crowded schedule, the first Test in India will start just 16 hours after the final T20 finishes in Adelaide, meaning there is no chance any of the Test players could have been named in the T20 squad.
It means plenty of players get the chance to make the step up to international level, with only four players from last year’s World T20 squad being selected.
James Faulkner, Finch, Andrew Tye and Adam Zampa have all made the cut, with Finch resuming his role as T20 captain for the series after being replaced by Steve Smith.
Four players are pencilled into be making their debuts in the series, headlined by Klinger. Jhye Richardson, Billy Stanlake and Ashton Turner are the other players set to make their debuts.
The big-hitting Chris Lynn has also been named in the squad, however he will have to pass fitness tests with the selectors and coaches before confirming his return from a neck injury. Pat Cummins and Travis Head, who are currently on ODI duty in New Zealand, have also been named in the squad.
The other members of the team are New South Wales all-rounder Moises Henriques, who is coming off a big T20 Big Bash campaign where he led the Sydney Sixers to the final, while Tim Paine will assume the keeping gloves.
While the leading run-scorer (Ben Dunk) and wicket-taker (Sean Abbott) from the recently-concluded Big Bash season were not included in the squad, Trevor Hohns said the side had a good balance as Australia aim to improve their T20 ranking.
“With Australia currently ranked number six in this format and with a number of our frontline players preparing for the India Test series, we have chosen a squad with a good blend of experience combined with several younger players in an effort to improve our performance and therefore our ICC T20 ranking,” said Hohns.
“The influence of younger players in this squad also gives us the opportunity to look forward to the ICC World T20, which is being hosted here in Australia in 2020. The overall standards being set in the BBL are very high and many of these players are making a good impression, but consistency was key for the selectors on this occasion.”
All-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who starred for Australia in their opening ODI against New Zealand with three wickets and 146 not out, was also left out of the squad.
Aaron Finch (c), Pat Cummins, James Faulkner, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Michael Klinger, Chris Lynn (fitness pending), Tim Paine (wk), Jhye Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa
Coach: Justin Langer
Assistant coaches: Ricky Ponting and Jason Gillespie
Series fixtures (times AEDT)
February 17, 7:40pm – Melbourne Cricket Ground
February 19, 7:20pm – Kardinia Park, Geelong
February 22, 7:50pm – Adelaide Oval
Chase
Guest
Haha ur saying the most consistent, leading run scorer in bbl scored three centuries in the trott who scored the most runs in the series vs Sri Lanka in great form in t20 who is a match winner should not get picked at least in the squad over khawaja and warner who have played barely any t20 cricket in the last 3-4 years. Plus u don't go by reputation or potential in t20 u go by form!!
Mickey of M0$man
Guest
bailey is so bad
Mickey of M0$man
Guest
Heazelett was injured last season during matador cup or he would definatley have been a mainstay
Mickey of M0$man
Guest
anyone that leaves warner out of any australian squad is kidding themselves
JohnB
Guest
At the time Don, at the time. And quite clearly when he was with Victoria for half his career he was way behind all of them.
Don Freo
Guest
Head, Klinger, Paine and Aust U23 captain Turner, would all be better.
Don Freo
Guest
How can you not know Richardson? He has been on the Scorchers and Warriors scene for 2 seasons and has been a spearhead of Aust U19 teams.
Don Freo
Guest
Nothing like Gillespie. He is half his height. Malcolm Marshall is closer to his style. Be nice if he has half the ability.
Don Freo
Guest
His fielding alone saved 20 to 30 runs a game.
Don Freo
Guest
That squad has 5 captains better than Finch.
Don Freo
Guest
Klinger is way better than David Hussey. Rob Quiney?Really?
Don Freo
Guest
Agreed. A slog caught on the boundary is not good bowling. T20 is about economy ahead of wickets.
JohnB
Guest
Henriques took a wicket yesterday (to take his season tally to 2 at 71 in Shield cricket - he was injured at times admittedly) but only bowled 3 overs across 2 games in the Big Bash (1 more over and the same number of wickets as Joe Burns I think). Can you really still say he's an all rounder?
The Bush
Roar Guru
While I don't agree with the scheduling of two Australian sides playing at once, once you go down this path, surely you have to at least prioritise both teams over any domestic fixtures? It is still an Australian side after all?
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Silly comment on Henriques. He's from NSW, how could he be a good choice.
JohnB
Guest
But Voges was being even more dominant and was picked. There's only so many 35 year old debutantes you can pick at the one time - plus it raised questions about how much of the success of the two of them (plus Bancroft and Marsh) owed to the state of the WACA. Klinger with experience has developed into a highly efficient player but his chance to play for Australia was years ago, and at the time he hit a form slump despite moving to Adelaide. Realistically, he wasn't then a better player than Hodge, Hussey or Quiney.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I'd agree, Arky but there are others in both squads who should never have been selected while Abbott and others who havrm aren't.
jarijari
Guest
I don't think we should bag the latest selection panel too much. They did come up with Handscomb and Renshaw for the Tests and Stoinis for the one-dayers in NZ. Wade, as ODI keeper and captain, was a shocker though, and Finch is a silly reappointment as skipper of theT20 side. Henriques is the obvious choice, a fine all-rounder and good leader.
jameswm
Roar Guru
He's quick/whippy - a bit like Gillespie. Quick arm I think.
Ants32
Roar Rookie
Trevor Hohns is chairman, but ChappellG is on the committee. :/ https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Australian_cricket_selectors