Australia captain Mitch Marsh has denied the T20 team is undergoing a “reset” following their World Cup failure, saying the three-match series against Scotland is about giving the next generation of white-ball stars a “chance”.
Marsh said of his team for Wednesday night’s opener at The Grange in Edinburgh: (Live from 11pm AEST) Although it was confirmed, there was hesitation in declaring which of the team’s younger players would make their debut.
Batting great Jake Fraser-McGurk is set to open the batting after the retirement of David Warner, who was named in both the T20 and ODI squads, while first-timers including WA rookie Cooper Connolly and Queensland fast bowler Xavier Bartlett are “eagerly awaiting” their involvement, according to Marsh.
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Marsh said all 14 players in the squad were very likely to feature in one of the three games.
“I don’t think it’s a reset,” Marsh said of the changing face of the squad.
“I definitely think there’s an opportunity for players to come in and get a chance, but I wouldn’t say it’s a reset.
“We’ve had a few experiences missing from this tour, but all these guys have definitely earned their place. They all have different skill sets and what we’ve been talking about is just coming together as a unit.
“One of the biggest challenges in international cricket is feeling comfortable at that level and that’s our job as leaders to make sure the players feel really comfortable.
“They will be challenged, they will be under pressure but it is really important for us to look after each other, have fun and enjoy playing international cricket.”
This will be the first time Australia will play Scotland in a multi-match bilateral series, the last time they toured Scotland was in 2009 and 2013 as a single ODI match.
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Marsh said Warner “will be missed” but said he had set a standard for the next group of players to achieve.
“Davey was definitely one of the best players we’ve ever had and he’s always brought a lot of experience and always up for the challenge of playing cricket for Australia, no matter who he’s playing against,” he said.
“I think that’s something for our younger players to learn from, but he will always be missed.
Fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will also miss the Scotland game, with Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith and Bartlett expected to lead the pace attack.
“Paddy, Hope and Starkey are a real team when they bowl together on the pitch and we want to pass that on to our less experienced players,” he said.
“But I have full confidence in them. They are very capable and I expect them to have a chance.
“I think we’ve got some really energetic young players who want to play for Australia. It’s really exciting.”
Scotland’s T20 tour of Australia
All times are AEST
4 September – First T20, Edinburgh, 11pm
6 September – 2nd T20, Edinburgh, 11pm
7 September – 3rd T20, Edinburgh, 11pm
Australia’s T20 squad
Mitchell Marsh (c), Shawn Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Frazier-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardy, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Riley Meredith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Scotland’s T20 squad
Richie Barrington (c), Charlie Cashel, Matthew Cross, Bradley Currie, Jasper Davidson, Chris Greaves, Ollie Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Riske, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safian Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tier, Mark Watt, Bradley Wheel
Watch the Australia vs Scotland match live below!
