Pat Cummins will be rested for Australia’s ODIs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand but the Hundred will not take precedence for four other star players.
Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa are all set to cut their Hundred campaigns in England short after been included in a 14-man squad to play six ODIs in August and September in Townsville and Cairns.
Townsville’s Riverway Stadium will host Zimbabwe before international men’s cricket returns to Cairns’ Cazalys Stadium for three games against the world No 1 Kiwis. Legspinner Zampa returns following the birth of he and wife Harriet’s first child while Ashton Agar (side strain) and Sean Abbott (broken finger) rejoin the squad.
Test captain Cummins is being managed through a period of rehabilitation and physical preparation for the upcoming summer while Travis Head will miss both series for the birth of his partner’s first baby.
Eleven Australians will play in England’s Hundred across August and September, with that foursome set to miss the late stages of the tournament and join the national team.
Mitchell Swepson, Josh Inglis, Jhye Richardson and Matthew Kuhnemann drop out of the squad that lost the recent ODI series 3-2 in Sri Lanka. Both series will take place after encountering delays due to Covid-19-related issues in previous years.
“These series against New Zealand, the world’s No 1 ranked ODI side, and Zimbabwe will be good contests and provide an opportunity to play some great cricket in the lead up to the home summer,” chairman of selectors George Bailey said. “The team is excited to be marking the start of a huge summer with these matches in North Queensland.”
Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
