Teenage batting star Oliver Peake and rising allrounder Liam Scott have earned their first senior national call ups with Australia set to blood a trio of fresh faces during their winter white-ball tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Joel Davies has also bolted in Australia’s T20 squad that is notably without Glenn Maxwell for their three-match series against Bangladesh beginning on June 17, which rounds out the team’s three-week subcontinent sojourn.
Maxwell’s omission will instead see him head to the United States for the entire Major League Cricket campaign where he will play for Washington Freedom alongside Steve Smith, who also missed selection in the T20 squad to face Bangladesh having earned a late call up for the World Cup earlier this year.
Allrounders Marcus Stoinis (Seattle Orcas) and Matt Short (San Francisco Unicorns) are other notable absences from a new-look T20 group that will be seeking to put Australia’s early World Cup exit behind them.
ODI captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will not feature in either Pakistan or Bangladesh. After returning from respective injures during the ongoing Indian Premier League, it’s understood the pace trio will now switch their focus to building up their red-ball workloads ahead of August’s two-Test home series against Bangladesh.
Australia squad for Pakistan ODIs: Mitchell Marsh (c), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Riley Meredith, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Matt Short, Billy Stanlake, Adam Zampa
Australia squad for Bangladesh ODIs: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Adam Zampa
Australia squad for Bangladesh T20Is: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Adam Zampa
Players whose teams are likely to feature in the IPL playoffs will miss the three-match ODI series in Pakistan that gets underway on May 30, with the finals of lucrative Indian T20 tournament scheduled to run from May 26-31.
Travis Head (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis (all Punjab Kings) will join the squad in Bangladesh ahead of that three-match ODI series once their IPL commitments have concluded.
The marathon IPL season and the looming home Test series against Bangladesh in the Top End has opened up opportunities for domestic performers on the cusp of national selection with 24 players named across the three squads.
Short retained his spot in the ODI squad (following Australia’s last match against India in November) to face Pakistan but has been left out of the Bangladesh leg as Head, Connolly, Bartlett and Dwarshuis return.
The 30-year-old also been unable to win his way back into the T20 squad after being dropped on the eve of this year’s World Cup.
The off-spinning allrounder has seemingly been jumped by Sydney Sixers’ left-armer Davies following his breakout Big Bash campaign, who had the best economy rate of anyone to bowl more than 20 overs in last summer’s KFC BBL|15 and took the second-most wickets (14) by a spinner behind Connolly (15).
Matthew Kuhnemann, who has been included in all three squads alongside Adam Zampa, makes it three left-arm spinners in the T20 squad, with the series set to be Australia’s first visit to Bangladesh since they were spun out in 4-1 loss in 2021.
Wicketkeeper Josh Philippe has solidified his role as back-up T20 gloveman behind Josh Inglis after edging out Alex Carey for the third straight bilateral series having also featured against Pakistan in January and India last November.
Perth Scorchers allrounder Aaron Hardie has earned a T20 recall following a standout Pakistan Super League season where he was named player of the final for his 4-27 and 56 not out in Peshawar Zalmi’s triumph over the Marnus Labuschagne-led Hyderabad Kingsmen.
Fast bowlers Spencer Johnson, Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake are all poised for long-awaited international returns.
Tasmania’s Meredith and Stanlake have been included for the Pakistan ODIs, with Johnson picked in the T20 squad alongside Meredith.
Johnson hasn’t played since being diagnosed with a stress fracture following last year’s IPL. He has been cleared to resume playing since the start of the month but is yet to feature for Chennai Super Kings this IPL season.
Meanwhile, Meredith has been named in his first Australian squad since 2024 when he played a sole T20 in Scotland before getting injured, while Stanlake is back in the national fold for the first time since 2019 following lengthy battles with back and hamstring injuries.
“It’s always exciting to see new players get an opportunity to play international cricket and be a part of the national team,” national selection chair George Bailey said.
“The blend of experienced players coupled with new or returning players will provide a nice mix for these subcontinent tours.
“Continuing to provide opportunities for players to develop across a broad range of conditions and experiences is important and will continue to be a focus over the next 18 months to two years.”
Qantas Tour of Pakistan & Bangladesh 2026
May 30: First ODI, Rawalpindi Stadium, 9:30pm AEST
June 2: Second ODI, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, 9:30pm AEST
June 4: Third ODI, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, 9:30pm AEST
June 9: First ODI, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, 6pm AEST
June 11: Second ODI, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, 6pm AEST
June 14: Third ODI, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, 6pm AEST
June 17: First T20I, Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram, 6pm AEST
June 19: Second T20I, Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram, 6pm AEST
June 21: Third T20I, Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram, 6pm AEST
All matches exclusive on Kayo Sports and Fox Cricket
