D’Arcy Short, Ashton Turner and Kane Richardson have earned ODI selection ahead of the World Cup while Mitchell Starc is a big omission for Australia’s tour of India. National selectors named a 16-man squad for the tour which begins on 24 February in Visakhapatnam and includes two T20 internationals and five ODIs.
Starc has been ruled out after suffering a “substantial” tear in his left pectoral muscle while bowling on the final day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Canberra. The beanpole quick, who snared 10 wickets for the match, is targeting a return during Australia’s ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE in late March.
Pat Cummins will lead Australia’s attack in the absence of Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who is recovering from a stress fracture in his back. Cummins will serve alongside Alex Carey as joint vice-captain and his return to ODI duties has squeezed out towering quick Billy Stanlake.
Richardson and Nathan Coulter-Nile also earned recalls but selectors couldn’t find a place for veteran Peter Siddle or allrounder Mitch Marsh. West Australian pacemen Jason Behrendorff and Jhye Richardson have been retained along with incumbent spinners Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa.
Selectors have backed in the batsmen that faced India on home soil last month, retaining Carey, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell and overlooking Travis Head and Chris Lynn.
Short has been recalled as cover for Shaun Marsh, who will remain home for the birth of his second child but is expected to be available for the third ODI in Ranchi on 8 March. The powerful left-hander will be eager to impress ahead of the World Cup starting in May after missing out on selection during the home summer.
“With the World Cup on the horizon, we see the ODI tours of India and the following tour against Pakistan as important windows for the squad to continue their preparations for our title defence,” chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said.
“We were really pleased with the progress we made during the recent ODI series against India, and we feel the progress is reflected in the squad selection with only a couple of changes.”
The squad to face Pakistan will be named in the later stages of the Indian tour. It remains to be seen whether it will include David Warner, who is recovering from elbow surgery ahead of his 12-month ban expiring on 29 March.
Australian ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Turner, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa, D’Arcy Short*
(*injury cover for Marsh)