Australia’s cricket selectors have gone back to the past for their ODI series in India with David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Mitch Marsh recalled for duty.
Warner, who left the Test leg of the tour during the week due to an elbow fracture, will jet back to India next month for the three-match series to open the batting with Travis Head.
Maxwell, who has returned to state duties with Victoria in the past week after recovering from a broken leg, and Marsh, who has been sidelined since November with an ankle problem, have also been included in the 16-man squad.
Marsh is likely to suit up for Western Australia in a couple of domestic one-dayers to warm up for the India contest.
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Pat Cummins will skipper the team after clean-sweeping England 3-0 in his first outing as one-day leader in November but fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will not be in action after flying home from India earlier this week due to the Achilles strain which ruled him out of the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
The Australians are sticking with established players as they begin their build-up to the World Cup in India in October – only four of the squad are under 29: Cameron Green (23), Josh Inglis (27), Marnus Labuschagne (28) and Jhye Richardson (26).
Richardson has been dogged by hamstring and heel problems this summer which have limited his appearances for WA and the Perth Scorchers.
“With the World Cup just over seven months away, these matches in India are an important step in our preparation. Glenn, Mitchell and Jhye are all important players in what we think the squad might look like come October,” chief selector George Bailey said.
Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, who was also sent home early from the Test leg of the tour due to a lack of form with the red ball, will get a chance to prove he belongs in the ODI side in India where spin will be an important component in Australia’s World Cup chances.
Surprisingly they named four quicks – Cummins, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc and Richardson – as well as Green as an all-rounder and only two frontline spinners.
Queensland left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann, who played four ODIs in Sri Lanka last year and made his Test debut last week in the second Test at Delhi, was unlucky not to get a spot.
Young Victorian offie Todd Murphy, who has been one of the touring party’s few shining lights in India, has a modest record of 12 wickets at 49.25 in List A one-dayers but was a revelation for the Sydney Sixers in the BBL this summer so he is another spinner who should be part of Australia’s white-ball teams in the future.
Maxwell’s return also gives Australia an extra off-spin option among their top six batters and after his broken leg from a freak accident at a party cruelled his hopes of returning to the Test team for the first time since 2017, he is relieved to be back in the international arena in the 50-over format.
“There’s still a little bit to go (before I’m 100% fit). I’ve been pretty realistic about how my recovery’s going over the last little bit. It has been nice to get back on the park the last week playing a club game for Fitzroy last Saturday and then to get a three-dayer in this week for the Shield game was quite nice,” Maxwell told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
“Even just looking at the data from the last day of the Shield game I started to get back to what a full one-day game looks like – that time on my feet, that speed back up, it’s all heading in the right direction.
“I always said I was probably building towards that one-day series, that was in the back of my mind.
“So now that I am closer to that workload I need to be at, I suppose it’s about trying to maintain that, get the pace back up and hopefully in a couple of weeks time I will be 100 per cent.”
Hazlewood’s priority is rehabbing his injury to be available for the World Test Championship final (if Australia sneak in ahead of Sri Lanka by avoiding a 4-0 whitewash) and the Ashes in England.
“It would be great for Josh to be part of this series but we have taken a conservative view ahead of a very important winter in England of which he will be an integral part,” Bailey said.
Australia take on India in Mumbai on March 17, Vizag two days later before their tour ends at Chennai on March 22.
Australian squad: Pat Cummins (c)
Sean Abbott
Ashton Agar
Alex Carey
Cameron Green
Travis Head
Josh Inglis
Marnus Labuschagne
Mitchell Marsh
Glenn Maxwell
Jhye Richardson
Steve Smith
Mitchell Starc
Marcus Stoinis
David Warner
Adam Zampa
Truth rocks
Guest
Hehe I'm going to enjoy the one day series too. Aussie team which is lacking in talent and seems to have zero ability to play spin, is going on with Maxwell and Warner. Oh lord I can see Jadeja and co dancing in the dressing rooms already. This Aussie team not only lacks talent but they're soft as butter in the summer. Mentally fragile sooks who told the coach who actually is a legend of cricket to take a hike because he was was too harsh on them. If you can't take feedback, go and find something else to do with your life, don't bother playing sports. India has talent and they're very coachable. Expect them to dominate Oz for at least the next two decades. The cupboard is full with talent, after the Kohli and Rohit era we will go to pant and shubman and I'm sure in 12 years time there will be more talent around Bless you India, leaders of the world again. Just like in ancient times.
matth
Roar Guru
Yea Smith is. His recent white ball record is excellent
DTM
Roar Rookie
There must be a mistake - I think they have announced the squad for a 2019 series. Do the selectors realise it is 2023? Half these players are injured or woefully out of form. Where is the forward thinking?
jammel
Roar Rookie
I'd like to see the following best XI tried atm (for uber-spin conditions): 1Marnus 2Head (c) 3Smithie 4Green 5Maxi 6Stoinis 7Inglis (+) 8Agar 9JRichardson 10Starc 11Zampa Reserves: Davey MMarsh Carey+ Abbott Cummins
Titch
Guest
Should make A.Agar white ball captain of Australia.
mrrexdog
Roar Guru
If you'd watch him play last year you wouldn't be saying that. He played 6 ODIs in 2022, 7 wickets at 28, going at about about 5 an over. I find it funny when people who clearly don't watch alot of cricket complain that player x has been selector or that player y hasn't
James Silver
Roar Guru
What more does Hughes have to do? In the last 4 years he has scored 1186 runs at an average of 69.76 and strike rate of 90.74 in the Marsh One Day Cup. As good as he is in tests, Labuschagne has not shown to be an effective ODI player (average of 32.16, strike rate of 84.54 from 27 matches) – his overall list A record is not much better. Since Head has relished being an opener, Hughes should be given a go at the number 4 spot if runs in this format mean anything. Agar, Inglis, Abbott, Stoinis also lucky to make the squad. Kuhnemann, Bancroft, Tye unlucky.
Ducky
Guest
Sean Abbott ? What has this guy done to deserve a place in the ODI team ??? He reminds me of Johnny from the Karate Kid “Put him in a body bag” :boxing: :thumbdown:
Phillip
Roar Rookie
The reality of the matter is timing is everything. Right now for these upcoming one dayers they want experienced players as well as bringing in blokes who'd been injured for some time. Short is one of a few batsmen who have earned a spot for both their batting and bowling, however Warner is still untouchable in white ball cricket so these new player's form and potential is wasted. Waste of time complaining about it...
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Nothing dull about Mitch Marsh. Or have you forgotten his most recent exploits. Re: Hughes. You'd think that with three centuries this Cup season that he'd be a shoe-in and collaterally his side would at the top. But not so
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
Oh no, David Warner! not again. Is Steve Smith worthy of getting a place in ODI or T20l squad?
Frank Delosa
Guest
Matt Renshaw fan here but Cam Bancroft is currently batting himself into the openers spot for the Ashes right now.
The Slips Cradle
Guest
Would love to here from Bailey as to why Hughes isn't in the squad. Keep hearing the old line "if you score runs at the domestic level you will get your opertunity for higher honours" someone at CA must have something against him as he has been the best bat in the Marsh one day cup for a while now.
Frank Delosa
Guest
An unimaginative squad with alot of dull choices that were the ready AUS got pounded in the T2 world cup. Will the selectors ever learn? 0-4 in test series 0-3 in ODI series 0-4 in Ashes (1 draw) dark times for AUS cricket. Get some young players in the mix and do it now!!