Australia to select new captain for T20 series against Pakistan. With Australia’s Test stars unavailable for the upcoming T20 matches against Pakistan, there will be an opportunity for a new skipper to lead the team.
Next month’s T20 Internationals will see a fresh captain, as none of the Test players were included in the 13-man squad for the matches taking place in Brisbane, Sydney, and Hobart. Josh Inglis, Adam Zampa, and Matt Short are among the candidates to replace Mitch Marsh as captain.
The T20 squad includes: Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa.
The decision comes as the yet-to-be-named Test squad prepares to convene in Perth for the series opener against India, which coincides with the T20 series against Pakistan. The final T20 match will be held in Hobart on November 18, just days before the first Test against India begins on November 22.
None of the players in the newly named T20 squad have prior experience as captains for Australia in any format. The Cricket Australia Board will need to ratify the appointment of the interim leader.
Andre Borovec will coach the team, a role he previously filled during a five-game T20I series against India following last year’s ODI World Cup. Head coach Andrew McDonald, along with assistants Michael di Venuto and Dan Vettori, will oversee the preceding ODI series against Pakistan before Borovec takes over for the T20 matches.
Former Australian batter Brad Hodge, part of the coaching staff for this year’s T20 World Cup, and former New Zealand fast bowler Hamish Bennett will assist Borovec during the T20 series.
Fast bowlers Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, and Nathan Ellis will return to international action after recovering from injuries sustained during the UK tour in September. Johnson recently returned to play for South Australia in the One-Day Cup, while Bartlett and Ellis are still yet to feature in domestic cricket.
Selection chief George Bailey expressed optimism about the returns of Bartlett, Johnson, and Ellis, stating, “It’s particularly encouraging to have them back in the national setup.”
The absence of star players Mitch Marsh, Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc (due to Test commitments), and Cameron Green (injury) opens the door for players like Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cooper Connolly, and Sean Abbott to shine. Short and Aaron Hardie will take on more prominent roles after impressing during the UK tour, while white-ball specialists Zampa, Ellis, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Tim David will also be key contributors.
Australia v Pakistan Limited-Overs Series 2024
ODI Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Pakistan ODI Squad: Mohammad Rizwan, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Irfan Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi
ODI Schedule:
- November 4: MCG, 2:30 PM AEDT
- November 8: Adelaide Oval, 2:30 PM AEDT
- November 10: Perth Stadium, 2:30 PM AEDT
T20 Squad: Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Pakistan T20 Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Abbas Afridi, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan
T20 Schedule:
- November 14: Gabba, 7:00 PM AEDT
- November 16: SCG, 7:00 PM AEDT
- November 18: Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 7:00 PM AEDT
