SOUTH AFRICA TOUR OF AUSTRALIA, 2025
Head and Hazlewood missed the recently concluded tour of West Indies © Getty
Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood have returned to the limited-overs squads for the home series against South Africa that kickstarts the Australian summer. Both Head and Hazlewood were not picked for the recently-concluded five-match T20I series in the Caribbean that the Australians won 5-0.
Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins were also not considered for that series against West Indies and they continue to be rested ahead of a busy home season. As a result of Cummins’s absence, Mitchell Marsh will lead the ODI side as well against South Africa.
With vacancies popping up in the middle order in the ODI squad following the recent retirements of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell, the selectors have handed Mitchell Owen his maiden call-up to the 50-overs set up and Cameron Green, who recently made a comeback, slots back in. Despite getting the axe from the Test XI, Marnus Labuschagne manages to retain his place in the ODI squad. Matthew Short, who has recovered from a minor side strain, is picked in both the squads.
Sean Abbott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tanveer Sangha, Cooper Connolly and Aaron Hardie have not been picked in the ODI squad following the return of Xavier Bartlett and Lance Morris. With the selectors reducing the T20 squad to 14, Fraser-McGurk, Hardie, Connolly and Bartlett were left out in order to make way for Head and Hazlewood.
“The smaller squad for a home series, along with the return of Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood, see some players not part of the squad for this Top End series, but all remain in the frame moving forward and we feel the entire group embraced every opportunity,” Chair of Selectors George Bailey said.
“We expect that to continue through this series, and the New Zealand and Indian series later this year, as we balance continued opportunities for players and the preparation for the Test summer.”
The series kicks off on August 10 with the opening two T20Is scheduled in Darwin. The final T20I and the opening ODI will be played in Cairns before South Africa conclude their tour in Mackay with two more ODIs.
T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa
ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa
© Cricbuzz
