Published: Mar 08, 2019, 09:31 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 08, 2019, 09:31 AM (IST)
Australia have named an unchanged 15-man squad that travelled to India for the upcoming ODI tour of UAE where they will face Pakistan in a five-match series.
Mitchell Starc was expected to make his international comeback in the Pakistan ODIs but misses out due to a recurrence of a left pectoral muscle injury which he picked during the recent home Test series against Sri Lanka.
The banned duo of Steven Smith and David Warner has also been ignored for the tour with Cricket Australia reckoning their best pathway is by playing in the Indian Premier League [IPL]
Both Smith and Warner underwent elbow surgeries and are currently undergoing rehabilitation. Both have returned to training and it was widely expected they would make international comeback in UAE. Their respective ball-tampering bans end on March 28 meaning they were available to be selected for the remaining two ODIs against Pakistan.
“After consultation with members of the National Selection Panel, Greg Chappell and Head Coach Justin Langer, Interim EGM Team Performance Belinda Clark, CA Medical Team and both players, it has been agreed Steve Smith and David Warner will not be available for selection for the final two matches of the series against Pakistan,” Trevor Hohns, chief of selectors, said in a statement on Friday.
He added, “While their bans will be finished on March 28, Steve and David have been working through rehabilitation from elbow surgery and it has been agreed the best pathway for them to return to play is in the Indian Premier League, a strong competition which features some of the world’s best players.”
Kane Richardson, who was ruled out of the ongoing limited-overs tour of India due to a side injury, is also set to return.
Australia’s squad: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (vice-captain), Pat Cummins (vice-captain), Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa
