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Glenn Maxwell gets call up for T20I series against Sri Lanka

Nathan Coulter-Nile has been rested for remainder series due to back injury while Josh Hazlewood and Usman Khawaja will join Steven Smith's club after ODI series against Sri Lanka.

Glenn Maxwell was dropped from the ODI series due to his poor form in tri-series against South Africa and West Indies © Getty Images
Glenn Maxwell was dropped from the ODI series due to his poor form in tri-series against South Africa and West Indies © Getty Images

Some good news for Glenn Maxwell fans as Australia announced the squad for Twenty20 (T20I) series against Sri Lanka. The squad brings back Australia’s T20I main man Maxwell back after being dropped in One-Day International (ODI) and Test series. Maxwell’s poor form in tri-series against West Indies and South Africa, was the reason dropping him for the ODI series against Sri Lanka. However, Nathan Coulter-Nile will miss the series following his injury. The first T20I match will be played on September 6 in Pallekele while the series will end on September 9 in Colombo. After Steven Smith being rested for the remainder of the series, David Warner is all set to take on the task of captaincy. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Sri Lanka vs Australia 2016, 2nd ODI at Colombo

He will be the fourth man this year and 10th overall to captain the national team in shortest format. Pacer Mitchell Starc will be part of the T20I squad after missing the ICC T20 World Cup 2016. Along with him will be Scott Boland, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn and Shaun Marsh. Lynn was named Bis Bash League season five Player of the Tournament last summer after he plundered 378 runs at a strike rate of 173.39 for the battling Brisbane Heat, however former England batsman Kevin Pietersen raised concerns around Lynn’s ability to tackle spin-friendly conditions leading into the WT20 in India.

Speaking to Network Ten, Pietersen said, “It is a very interesting point because this is not the kind of wicket, and the wickets you play in Australia are not the wickets you’re going to play in the T20 World Cup. So until he destroys a spinner on a slow turner, I’m not going to be sold on the idea. Hitting through the line here, (with a) big bat, (with the) ball coming on in Australia. By all means, I’m sure you’re going to give him a go. But from experience, don’t expect miracles. That’s all I’m saying.” ALSO READ: Smith rested for remainder of SL tour; Warner to lead AUS

Lynn is currently leading the Australia A team in their one-day quadrangular series against India A, South Africa A and the National Performance Squad in Brisbane, while Glenn Maxwell has also been plying his trade with the ‘A’ squad following his ODI omission. Selector Rod Marsh spoke on the inclusion of Maxwell and Lynn and added, “ Both Chris and Glenn are dynamic players who are both capable of winning a game from their own bat and they also bring that x-factor in the field.”

Wicket-keeper Peter Nevill finds his place in the T20 squad despite Matthew Wade’s form in ODIs.  Nevill was the preferred option for the WT20, where he scored 18 from just five balls faced throughout the tournament and claimed two dismissals in a tidy performance behind the stumps as Australia failed to make it to the semi-finals. Usman Khawaja and Josh Hazlewood will join Smith after the conclusion of ODI series while Coulter-Nile has been affected with injury once again. ALSO READ: Aponso, Mathews steer SL to 82-run win over AUS in 2nd ODI

Australia’s physiotherapist mentioned, “Nathan had been experiencing a gradual increase in lower back pain which is now preventing him from bowling at match intensity. He will now return to Perth for further investigation which will determine the extent of the injury and possible return to play timelines.” His spot in ODIs will be either handled by Boland or John Hasting.

Australia T20 squad: David Warner (c), Scott Boland, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.

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