World champions Australia depend on expertise and all-round skills as they search third Champions Trophy title.
Pat Cummins returns for Australia’s ICC Champions Trophy marketing campaign in Pakistan subsequent month after skipping their Sri Lanka Check tour, with injured paceman Josh Hazlewood making a comeback to the limited-overs aspect.
Australia’s Check and one-day worldwide (ODI) captain Cummins opted out of the upcoming collection in opposition to Sri Lanka for the beginning of his second baby however was named within the 50-over world champions’ preliminary 15-man squad on Monday.
Cummins carried an ankle harm via the Border-Gavaskar Check collection in opposition to India.
Hazlewood was additionally included within the two-time match winners’ lineup after calf and aspect strains restricted him to simply two Assessments in opposition to India over the summer season.
Whereas they return, opener Jake Fraser-McGurk was dropped, paying the value for his poor current kind after opening for Australia throughout their most up-to-date one-day collection in opposition to Pakistan.
“It is a balanced and skilled squad with the core having been concerned within the earlier one-day World Cup, the West Indies collection, final 12 months’s profitable tour of the UK and the newer Pakistan residence collection,” chief selector George Bailey stated through the squad announcement.
“It gives quite a lot of choices for touring administration relying on opposition and the circumstances which will current in Pakistan.”
All-rounders Matt Quick and Aaron Hardie in addition to fast bowler Nathan Ellis are the least skilled worldwide gamers within the squad with lower than a dozen ODIs every.
The Champions Trophy, which Australia received in 2006 and 2009, was final performed in 2017.
The eight-nation trophy, between February 19 and March 9, might be performed in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Australia have been drawn with Afghanistan, England and South Africa for the opening group stage.
Squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Quick, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
