David Warner has been rested for the five-match Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka while Ben McDermott has come into the team after his wonderful exploits with the Hobart Hurricanes.
Follow Us
The Australian cricket team has announced the squad for the upcoming five-match Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka. This will be the first series for Australia after they won the ICC World T20 2021 in the UAE. It was the first time that Australia clinched the title, having failed consistently from 2007 to 2016. David Warner, who was one of the stars of the tournament, has been rested. Even more surprising, Mitchell Marsh, the hero of the ICC World T20 2021 has also been rested. Marsh’s all-round exploits were one of the key reasons for Australia winning the tournament.
Travis Head, who scored two centuries in the Ashes, has also been included in the team. Jhye Richardson makes a comeback but the notable addition is Ben McDermott. The right-hander was one of the stars of the Big Bash League for Hobart Hurricanes, scoring 577 runs in 13 games at an average of 48 with a strike rate of 153. He hit two hundreds, with a high of 127. Both his tons were back-to-back, which was the first in the Big Bash League.
Read – David Warner Suffers This Horror Fate at Home in Pink Ball Test vs England
Speaking about his selection, McDermott said, “I don’t think that I was ready to play for Australia (before), but I do feel ready now. I feel like I’m at the top of my game.”
Apart from Ben McDermott, Jhye Richardson, and Travis Head, Josh Hazlewood also makes a return to the Australia T20 team. Hazlewood’s bowling in the shortest format has been impressive ever since his stint with Chennai Super Kings. Hazlewood missed four out of the five Tests against England in the Ashes due to a side strain. The right arm-pacer played in the Brisbane Test and he troubled England.
Justin Langer, the coach of the Australian cricket team, will also not be part of the team. Assistant Andrew McDonald will act as the head coach. Speaking on the selection, chief selector George Bailey said, “This squad will begin preparation for the T20 World Cup defense at home later this year and includes several players who have an early chance to impress in these five matches against a quality opposition.”
The series will begin on February 11, with matches scheduled to be held in Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne. After this series, Australia will embark on a historic tour of Pakistan after 24 years.
Aaron Finch (capt), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Josh Inglis, Ben McDermott, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa
