MOHALI, India, (Reuters) – Michael Clarke will lead a largely inexperienced Australian side in the one-day series against India after regular skipper Ricky Ponting was rested as part of the team’s World Cup and Ashes plans.
Apart from Ponting, paceman Mitchell Johnson and all-rounder Shane Watson will also skip the three-match series, Cricket Australia said in a statement yesterday.
“Player workload management is particularly important over the course of the next seven months as we prepare a squad to defend the World Cup in India and the subcontinent and to win the Ashes back from England,” national selection panel (NSP) chairman Andrew Hilditch said in the statement.
“With that in mind, Ricky Ponting will not take part in this one-day series. The NSP has decided as part of the ongoing management of Ricky’s workload he should not take part in this series. The demands of back-to-back test matches in tough Indian conditions have been taken into consideration.”
Hilditch said it was also important to manage the workload of both Johnson and Watson who figure prominently in Australia’s World Cup scheme.
Uncapped fast bowlers James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc will join Clint McKay and Doug Bollinger in the four-man pace attack, while Callum Ferguson returned after a knee injury.
The one day series starts on Oct. 17 in Kochi with Visakhapatnam (Oct. 20) and Margao (Oct. 24) hosting the other matches.
Squad: Michael Clarke (captain), Cameron White (vice captain), Doug Bollinger, Callum Ferguson, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Mike Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.