July 15th 2024.
The cricket world is abuzz with excitement as Australia has announced their ODI and T20I squads for their upcoming tour of the UK. The team will be playing a total of 11 white-ball matches in September, with three T20Is against Scotland and England, followed by five ODIs against England.
The tour kicks off with the first T20I against Scotland in Edinburgh on September 5, marking the first bilateral series between the two nations. The team will then head south for three T20Is and five ODIs against England, starting on September 12.
There are some new faces in the squad, including Perth all-rounder Cooper Connolly, who has been selected for his first senior national squad. This is a well-deserved opportunity for Connolly, who captained the Australian under-19 side at the 2022 World Cup. His impressive performances for the Scorchers in the Big Bash League, including a memorable match-winning cameo in the BBL12 Final, have earned him this call-up.
In addition, Cricket Australia has announced that Matthew Short will miss the tour to be present for the birth of his first child. He will join the squad for the ODI series, while Jake Fraser-McGurk, who was a travelling reserve at the T20 World Cup last month, has been added to the T20I squad. The selectors have also brought back Spencer Johnson, Aaron Hardie, and Xavier Bartlett to the T20I setup after their impressive performances in the last home series against the West Indies.
However, some key players will be missing from the T20 leg of the tour. Pat Cummins will be sitting out the entire UK tour as part of a long-term load management strategy. Meanwhile, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc will be managed through the T20I series and will rejoin the team for the ODI series, as part of their preparation for next year's Champions Trophy.
In the absence of Cummins, Mitchell Marsh will lead the team, making a return to the squad after being managed in the last ODI series against the West Indies. He will be joined by a mix of experienced and new players, including Fraser-McGurk, Hardie, and Short, who have retained their places from the last series.
George Bailey, the Chief Selector, expressed his excitement about the new additions to the squad, saying, "This tour gives us a great opportunity to bring in some new players and give some senior players some time to prepare for the upcoming home summer and a busy first half of next year."
Bailey also highlighted the team's focus on planning for the upcoming events, including the Champions Trophy, white ball series against Pakistan, and the highly-anticipated home Test series against India. He added, "We have been gradually integrating new players into our white ball squads based on their excellent performances in the Big Bash or State cricket."
The T20I squad includes the likes of Mitchell Marsh, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, and Jake Fraser-McGurk, while the ODI squad features Mitch Marsh, Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, and Aaron Hardie, among others.
Fans can mark their calendars for the upcoming matches, with the first T20I against Scotland on September 4 at The Grange in Edinburgh, followed by two more T20Is against Scotland and three against England. The ODI series against England will begin on September 19 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, followed by four more matches at different venues across the UK. It's bound to be an exciting tour, and all eyes will be on the Australian team as they gear up for some high-intensity matches against tough opponents.
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