Published: May 19, 2017, 12:33 PM (IST)
Edited: May 19, 2017, 12:33 PM (IST)
Cricket Australia (CA) on Friday named Usman Khawaja and Travis Head as captains for the four-day and one-day formats’ contests, respectively, for Australia A’s tour of South Africa in July 2017. The swashbuckling all-rounder Head has been named Khawaja’s deputy. The four-day games will also feature other Test players such as Jackson Bird and Hilton Cartwright, who will be a part of the 14-man squad. The likes of Ashton Agar, Marcus Stoinis, and Kane Richardson are among others named in the strong one-day squad as well. Khawaja sat out throughout the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 season for Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), while Maxwell led Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), narrowly missing out on the playoffs. Head however, played a few matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). READ: Usman Khawaja expresses frustration on being axed from Australia’s Champions Trophy squad
“We have opted for a well-balanced squad featuring some experience blended with younger players, with an emphasis on building our depth for the future,” Trevor Hohns, the national selector said, according to cricket.com.au. “This is a great chance for these players to experience foreign conditions against quality international sides and really test their skills. With an upcoming Test Series in South Africa early next year it is also an opportunity to impress with their performances and put their names forward for consideration,” he added.
As many as nine ODI players are present in the Head-led one-day side. “Travis is a capable young leader and he will benefit from the opportunity at this level,” Hohns says. “There were some senior players that missed out on an opportunity this time round but this will certainly not detract from their chances of representing Australia in the future,” Hohns further stated. READ: IPL 2017: Travis Head admits Royal Challengers Bangalore enduring ‘worst season’
Australia A four-day squad: Usman Khawaja (c), Glenn Maxwell (vc), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Jackson Bird, Alex Carey, Hilton Cartwright, Travis Head, Kurtis Patterson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth.
Australia A one-day squad: Travis Head (c), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Heazlett, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth.
