Australia have announced their squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of England, with Western Australia youngster Cooper Connolly making his international debut.
On Monday afternoon, Cricket Australia released the September tour schedule for Scotland and England, which includes three T20Is against Scotland in Edinburgh, three T20Is against England across the UK, and five ODIs, including a 50-over match at Lord’s on September 27.
Connolly, who led Perth Scorchers to a stunning Big Bash League final win over Brisbane Heat last year, has been included in the T20 squad, while other promising youngsters Xavier Bartlett, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardy and Spencer Johnson are back in the squad.
“It’s interesting, because we haven’t had that many dropouts for a while,” selection committee chairman George Bailey told reporters on Monday.
“He’s an exciting young talent. He hasn’t played much cricket yet, but we really like his versatility.
“His performances through the Scorchers’ mid-order have been really impressive.”
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Fraser-McGurk, who caught the eye with his explosive performances for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League earlier this year, is expected to replace the retired David Warner as the frontrunner for the T20 team.
“Jake has shown he has tremendous potential,” Bailey said.
“It will be a challenge to move into consistent international cricket. You will face high-end opposition and different conditions.
“The very nature of back-to-back international cricket matches can be a challenge, so I’m looking forward to seeing how Jake responds when he gets his chance.”
Spinner Ashton Aggar and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who represented Australia at last month’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, were both left out, while Steve Smith, one of the leading run-scorers in Major League Cricket this season, was also left out of the T20 squad.
Victorian batsman Matthew Short will stay home for the birth of his first child before joining up with Australia for the ODIs against England, while Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc will miss the T20s to manage their workloads.
Australian Test captain Pat Cummins, who is set to make his debut for the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket, has been rested for the entire tour, with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh leading both sides in his absence.
“This is something we’ve been planning for (Cummins) for about 12 months,” Bailey explained.
“If you look at the Australian cricket schedule since Pakistan arrived on our shores later this year, it’s been a very busy one.”
Meanwhile, South Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has been recalled from the ODI squad after being left out of last year’s World Cup in India, and he has been a stand-in for Josh Inglis in England.
“The role has changed a little bit,” Bailey continued.
“Josh has been involved in many one-day tours as Carey’s assistant. Now Josh has the opportunity to wear the gloves as the number one wicketkeeper in both T20 and one-day cricket. We are delighted to be able to continue to give him that opportunity.”
Connolly made his first-team debut in the Sheffield Shield final in March, scoring 90 (115) in a 377-run win over Tasmania at the WACA.
The 20-year-old, who led Australia at the 2022 U-19 World Cup, scored 181 runs at an average of 22.62 with a strike rate of 136.09 in last summer’s Big Bash.
Earlier this month, Connolly signed a two-year contract extension with the Scorchers, keeping him with the Perth franchise until 2027.
“The last few years have been quite surreal, with the BBL|12 final and a bit more playing time last year, so I’m excited to see what the next few seasons bring,” Connolly said in a statement.
“It’s still pretty early in my career, so honestly I’m just trying to absorb as much as I can from my teammates and coaches. They prepare us well every week.”
Australia T20 Squad vs Scotland and England
Mitchell Marsh (c)
Xavier Bartlett
Cooper Connolly
Team David
Nathan Ellis
Jake Fraser-McGurk
Cameron Green
Aaron Hardy
Josh Hazelwood
Travis Head
Josh Inglis
spencer johnson
Marcus Stoinis
Adam Zampa
Australia ODI Squad vs England
Mitchell Marsh (c)
Shawn Abbott
Alex Carey
Cameron Green
Nathan Ellis
Jake Fraser-McGurk
Aaron Hardy
Josh Hazelwood
Josh Inglis
Travis Head
Marnus Labuschagne
Glenn Maxwell
Matthew Short
Steve Smith
Mitchell Stark
Adam Zampa
Australia’s White Ball Tour to England
4 September – First T20 against Scotland, Edinburgh
6 September – 2nd T20 vs Scotland, Edinburgh
7 September – 3rd T20 vs Scotland, Edinburgh
11 September – First T20 against England, Rose Bowl
13 September – 2nd T20 vs England, Sophia Gardens
15 September – 3rd T20 vs England, Old Trafford
19 September – First ODI against England, Trent Bridge
21 September – 2nd ODI against England, Headingley
24 September – 3rd ODI against England, Chester-le-Street
27 September – 4th ODI vs England, Lord’s
29 September – 5th ODI vs England, County Ground, Bristol
