MELBOURNE – April 29 (ONLINE) Fast bowler Pat Cummins won’t be a part of the 20-overs format as Australia named their Test, ODI and T20I squads for their upcoming tour of Sri Lanka in June-July.
The tour consists of 3 T20Is, 5 ODIs and 2 Tests, starting June 7. The R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and the Galle International Stadium will host the red-ball and white-ball matches.
A number of their players, who weren’t a part of the Pakistan tour to take part in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL), have returned. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa won’t go on the Sri Lanka tour as his wife is expected to give birth to their child. Andrew McDonald will also be serving as the full-time national head coach for the first time after Justin Langer’s departure.
Left-handed batter Marcus Harris has also been left out after his poor showing in the 2021-22 Ashes at home. In four Tests, the southpaw scored only 179 runs at an average of 29.83 with one half-century to show for his efforts. The 29-year-old was also dropped from the playing XI for the Hobart Test after Usman Khawaja was sent to open the batting following his twin tons in the middle order.
Ben McDermott, who notched his maiden ODI century on the Pakistan tour, has been left out. Mark Steketee and Michael Nesser missed the bus as well. George Bailey, the Men’s Chair of National Selectors, said that the squads were picked keeping in mind the T20 World Cup later this year and the 50-overs World Cup next year.
“These are very targeted to skill sets and what we see as the bulk of the squad for the home T20 World Cup and looking further forward to the ODI World Cup,” Bailey said.
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