MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australia will send an understrength squad to the Caribbean for the white-ball tour against the West Indies, with Pat Cummins, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell opting out, and Steve Smith injured.
Cricket Australia said pace trio Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson and Daniel Sams, along with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, had also opted out of the tour for “various reasons”.
Selector Trevor Hohns said in a team release yesterday that while they were disappointed not to have all their players available, the national selection panel respected the decisions of those who had opted out of the tour.
“International tours in the time of COVID-19 undoubtedly present many additional challenges for athletes,” Hohns added.
Master batsman Smith was nursing an elbow injury and was “disappointed” to miss out on the tour, Hohns said of the former captain.
Selectors telegraphed the changes last week by adding six players to Australia’s white-ball squads amid reports some would skip the West Indies and following tour to Bangladesh because of ‘bubble fatigue’.
Australia are scheduled to play five Twenty20 and three one-day internationals in West Indies next month and five Twenty20 matches in Bangladesh in August, subject to biosecurity arrangements and government approvals.
Warner, Cummins and Smith were among Australian players who competed in the Indian Premier League, which was suspended last month after a number of players and team staff contracted COVID-19 despite the tournament’s strict biosecurity protocols.
Uncapped fast bowler Wes Agar, the younger brother of established spinner Ashton Agar, has been included in the 18-man squad along with Ben McDermott, Dan Christian and Ashton Turner.
Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Swepson return to the Aaron Finch-captained squad after missing out on the New Zealand tour earlier this year due to a selection clash with the test side.
Squad:
Aaron Finch (capt), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Riley Meredith, Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.
