Australia captain Pat Cummins will prepare for the post-Test summer through Pakistan’s eminent anti-age ODI layout. Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head will sit out the three-game match due to paternity.
Cummins has been named captain of Australia’s 14-man squad which was unveiled on Monday for the draw which begins on November 4 at the MCG. The team is missing Marsh and Head, who have young children due in the coming weeks. Cameron Green, who has been ruled out for the summer closer to undergoing surgery again.
Cummins will not play in the Sheffield Safeguard game ahead of the five-Test layout against the Republic of India. He will prefer to do all his preparation through 50-over cricket. He will most likely play a one-day home match for pristine South Wales on October 25 before captaining the main ODI.
It remains to be seen whether Cummins will play all three ODIs against Pakistan, given that there will only be a one-day gap between second and third in Adelaide and Perth with a long flight in between. Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have also been named in the ODI squad, but it seems most likely that the bowling attack could be surrounded, with both Hazlewood and Starc hoping to play games in at least one Safeguard tournament before the ODIs.
“This is our last ODI series before the Champions Trophy and the balance of the team was focused on that, as well as continuing to focus on preparing individuals for the upcoming summer of Tests,” said chairman of selectors George Bailey. “The one-day team had a great result in the UK, particularly due to illness and injury issues. We see this as an opportunity to build on that achievement in preparation for next February in Pakistan.”
Marcus Stoinis takes his ODI back having not played since the 2023 International Cup. He was not selected for the ODI leg of the UK tour but played matches in the T20I layout against Scotland and England. Stoinis currently does not have a CA status or guarantee, although he is close to qualifying for an upgrade, and has not played in any home one-day matches for Western Australia at the start of the summer. But he remains in the plans for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, especially now given Green’s trauma, and will be a key all-round figure alongside emerging Aaron Hardie if Australia are to play with a versatile XI.
Josh Inglis is the only real goalkeeper in the team with an in-form Alex Carey ruled out of the Pakistan squad despite his solid performances against England on their ODI return.
The lack of Head and Marsh will open the door for a new opening combination with Matthew Scale down and Jake Fraser-McGurk given a good chance of integrating into the design. The reduction used to be one of the most dazzling lighting fixtures in Australia during the UK era. Fraser-McGurk didn’t get a chance in the ODIs but looks set to play in the post-set.
Cooper Connolly, who made his ODI debut in England, is the only player named in the ODI and Australia A squad for two four-day matches against Republic of India A that impacted the ODI layout. The first four-day game at Mackay ends on November 3 before the first ODI on November 4 and the second four-day game at the MCG will take place from November 7-10 with the second and third ODIs being played on November 8 and 10. Connolly appears likely to play Australia’s first sport before joining the ODI squad for the second tournament.
Australia is yet to call up the T20I team for the three-match setup that follows the ODIs against Pakistan. None of Australia’s Test players will play games in that format which runs from November 14-18 as they will be given more for the main Test starting on November 22.
That means Australia will need a new T20I captain as Marsh, Head and Cummins will be out of ownership. They will also have other training staff such as Senior Lecturer Andrew McDonald and many of his assistants will sit down to organize the Republic of India.
Australia ODI Team vs Pakistan
Pat Cummins (captain), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Scale down, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
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