Australia won’t “completely rip apart” their T20 team following last month’s World Cup exit but now is a great opportunity to blood fresh talent, says men’s selection chair George Bailey.
While Bailey believes Australia still has the foundations of a “really good” T20 team despite failing to reach the semi-finals of the global showpiece, selectors clearly have their eye on the future in naming a 14-player squad to face Scotland and England in six T20 internationals in September.
Western Australia and Perth Scorchers young gun Cooper Connolly has bolted into international contention after being named in his first senior men’s squad for the T20 leg of a month-long white-ball UK tour where batting sensational Jake Fraser-McGurk is expected to succeed retired opener David Warner.
Josh Inglis will also take the wicketkeeping gloves full time in both white-ball formats with Matthew Wade omitted from the T20 squad. Alex Carey has been included as a back-up option for the five ODIs against England that follow.
While Inglis leapfrogged Carey in the 50-over format during last year’s ODI World Cup triumph in India, the West Australian keeper-bat has been forced to bide his time behind Wade in T20 internationals and didn’t feature in last month’s World Cup in the Caribbean despite being in Australia’s 15-player squad for the tournament.
“We’re excited about giving Josh a run,” Bailey said following Monday’s T20 and ODI squad announcement. “He’s been waiting in the wings and (only) had small opportunities in the T20 space previously.
“We’re excited about him taking over a bit more permanently from now on and clearly he’s had a taste in the one-day team and we’re looking forward to that continuing as well.”
Bailey said Matt Short, who along with Fraser-McGurk was a travelling reserve during the T20 World Cup campaign, is also expected to feature more regularly going forward.
Short was only named in the squad for the ODI leg of September’s tour as he and fiancée Madi Wilson, a two-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer, await the arrival of their first child but, depending on when the baby arrives, Bailey said he could yet feature in the T20 series against England.
Like Fraser-McGurk, Short’s preferred T20 position is opening, a role which has earned him consecutive KFC BBL player of the season awards.
But with only one spot available alongside Travis Head, who enjoyed a scintillating Indian Premier League campaign with runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad followed by an impressive World Cup, Short’s absence from the early stages of the tour will likely see Fraser-McGurk receive first crack at filling Warner’s shoes.
“Jake has shown there’s enormous potential there,” Bailey said. “Like any player I think, the step up to consistent international cricket will be a challenge.
“You’re faced with a high-end opposition, different conditions and just the back-to-back nature of international cricket can be a challenge as well, so looking forward to seeing how Jake handles that when he gets his opportunity.”
Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins will miss the entire tour as part of his “pre-planned, long-term load management strategy” ahead of a five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy home summer, while Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will also skip the T20 leg.
That will allow Nathan Ellis to take on a more prominent role leading the pace attack alongside Josh Hazlewood after impressing in his three T20 World Cup appearances, while newer faces Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett will get opportunities to stake their claim.
“It didn’t feel like we needed to completely rip it apart and start from scratch,” Bailey said of Australia’s T20 side.
“There’s some world class players that have been there and will continue to be there, but it’s also a great opportunity to start to explore some other guys.
“The T20 and one-day squads that we’re taking to the UK, a lot of the guys either haven’t been on a tour or haven’t had a great deal of opportunity and can now start to get some games playing for Australia.
“This is a really important series … (for) a number of guys who have been on tours, played one or two games but haven’t had a great deal of opportunity yet.
“It’ll be exciting to see a number of players, including some of the fast bowlers, we’ve been impressed by what they’ve shown in a short space of time.”
Qantas Tour of the UK 2024
Australia T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
September 4: First T20 v Scotland, The Grange, Edinburgh, time TBC
September 6: Second T20 v Scotland, The Grange, Edinburgh, time TBC
September 7: Third T20 v Scotland, The Grange, Edinburgh, time TBC
September 11: First T20 v England, Rose Bowl, Southampton, 3.30am Sept 12 AEST
September 13: Second T20 v England, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 3.30am Sept 14 AEST
September 15: Third T20 v England, Old Trafford Manchester, 11.30pm AEST
Australia ODI squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
September 19: First ODI v England, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 10pm AEST
September 21: Second ODI v England, Headingley, Leeds, 10pm AEST
September 24: Third ODI v England, Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 10pm AEST
September 27: Fourth ODI v England, Lord’s, London, 10pm AEST
September 29: Fifth ODI v England, County Ground, Bristol, 8pm AEST