Cricket Australia claim decision to name preliminary squad for proposed England tour is a ‘positive step’ but warn there are still ‘several hurdles to overcome’ ahead of September trip
- Australia are preparing for a tour of England in September for ODIs and T20s
- Cricket Australia say the decision to name a preliminary squad is a positive step
- However, executive general manager Ben Oliver insists there are still hurdles
Cricket Australia has named a preliminary 26-man squad for its proposed tour of England in September, but said there are ‘several hurdles to overcome’.
The National Selection Panel named the list on Thursday for the ODI and T20 tour and said it was a ‘positive step, albeit not a definitive one’.
CA’s executive general manager Ben Oliver said: ‘The ECB are a long-standing and valued international cricket partner and we are doing all we can to give the tour the best possible chance of taking place.
Australia have named a preliminary squad for their proposed tour of England in September
‘We continue to work with the ECB and government agencies and a decision on the tour will be made in due course.
‘In the meantime, the identification of a preliminary list will enable us to work with players and states more directly on the preparation for the tour in the hope it can proceed.’
National Selector Trevor Hohns said: ‘This preliminary list covers the contingencies of playing One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals in bio-secure hubs with the likely prospect of not being able to bring in replacements should the tour proceed.
‘The preliminary list includes several exciting young players who have recently excelled at state level and in the BBL. These emerging players are among those we would like to develop further as we believe they have a bright future in Australian cricket.
‘The preliminary list also has a view towards the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup and in the longer term the 2023 ICC World Cup.’