Srinagar: Premier pacer Mitchell Starc and batter Matt Short are among the inclusions as Australia named their ODI squad to face India later this month.
Starc only retired from T20I cricket last month, but the left-armer will return to the international fold to take on a strong India line-up that includes former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
The return of Starc bolsters an Australia bowling group that is still missing injured skipper Pat Cummins, with T20I captain Mitch Marsh to once again fill the role as captain against India during both the ODI and T20I contests that commence on October 19.
Starc’s return is one of four changes to Australia’s ODI side that took on South Africa last month, with Short, Matt Renshaw and Mitchel Owen also earning recalls to the side that lost the series 2-1 to the Proteas.
Dropping out of the ODI squad are Aaron Hardie, Matthew Kuhnemann and Marnus Labuschagne, with Labuschange to continue to play four-day cricket for Queensland in the domestic Sheffield Shield competition ahead of the upcoming Test series against England at the end of the year.
The Aussies also named a 14-player group for the first two T20I matches against India, with Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis earning recalls after they missed the recent T20I series with South Africa.
The T20I series will be used as important preparation for Australia ahead of next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and selection chair George Bailey also indicated the potential for further changes to the squad for the backend of the series.
“We have named a squad for the ODI series and first two games of the T20 series as there will be some management through the back end of the series as individuals prepare for the summer through Sheffield Shield cricket,” Bailey said.
“The majority of the T20 squad will remain together as it’s an important period in the build towards the World Cup next year, however we are trying to strike a balance to ensure we simultaneously prepare certain individuals for the Test series ahead.”
Australia ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
Australia T20I squad (first two games): Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Series schedule:
First ODI: October 19, Perth
Second ODI: October 23, Adelaide
Third ODI: October 25, Sydney
First T20I: October 29, Canberra
Second T20I: October 31, Melbourne
Third T20I: November 2, Hobart
Fourth T20I: November 6, Gold Coast
Fifth T20I: November 8, Brisbane
