(ESPN) Steven Smith will captain Australia in the ODI series against West Indies next month while fast bowler Lance Morris has been handed his first call-up in the format and Marcus Stoinis has been dropped.
Pat Cummins, having led the side to the World Cup title in November, has been rested alongside Mitchell Marsh who captained the team in South Africa. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have also been given a break from the three 50-over games in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. David Warner announced his retirement from the format last week although kept the door ajar to play in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Western Australia and Perth Scorchers quick Jhye Richardson has been recalled for the first time since the tour of Sri Lanka in 2022 while Aaron Hardie and Matt Short are also included alongside Nathan Ellis.
Hardie made his ODI debut against South Africa last September and Short in the series against India which preceded the World Cup. Both have continued to impress in this season’s BBL.
However, there is no space for Stoinis who was part of the World Cup-winning group in India although he lost his place by the end of the tournament.
For Morris, the series will provide the opportunity for his international debut after spending considerable time as a reserve around the Test squad. Barring injuries to the three frontline Test quicks it would appear unlikely he will feature in that format in the near future.
“It is a little over 12 months until the Champions Trophy and further opportunities for the likes of Aaron Hardie, Matt Short, Jhye Richardson, and Nathan Ellis will be valuable both to our ongoing improvement as a team and also further their personal experiences in ODI cricket,” national selector George Bailey said.
“The squad strikes a balance between players continuing to make their mark on international cricket, playing alongside some of our most experienced players with an eye to the future in this format.”
The series against West Indies are Australia’s last scheduled ODIs until they tour England in September.
