(Reuters) – Australia captain Michael Clarke will miss the one-day tour of India this month due to a chronic back injury in order to get fit for the home Ashes series against England, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Tuesday.
George Bailey will lead the one-day team in India and Clarke will be replaced in the squad by Callum Ferguson.
Clarke led Australia to a 3-0 defeat in this year’s Ashes series in England and, as the captain and the team’s senior batsman, will be desperate to get fit for the first test starting in Brisbane on Nov. 21.
“Michael was very keen to captain the ODI team to India but unfortunately he hasn’t progressed enough to be available for selection,” national selector John Inverarity said.
Team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said Clarke’s chronic low back injury flared up during the recent one-day series in England and had been slow to improve.
“Michael … will require a more extensive rehabilitation period before returning to competitive cricket,” Kountouris said.
Australia have added Nic Maddison to the Twenty20 squad in India.
They will play a one-off Twenty20 international on Oct. 13 and the seven-match one-day series starts three days later.
Australia T20 squad: George Bailey (captain), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Johnson, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Adam Voges and Shane Watson.
Australia ODI squad: George Bailey (captain), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Callum Ferguson, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Moises Henriques, Phil Hughes, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Adam Voges and Shane Watson.
