What happened
Australia have rested Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood for their home white-ball series against England, which starts with an ODI in Perth on 13 November. Mitchell Marsh captains both the ODI and T20I squads. The selectors are protecting their Test attack for a long run of WTC cricket that ends with a five-Test tour of India.
Selection chair George Bailey named the squads on 2 November. The ODI group has a young pace attack, and the T20I squad includes two players with no international caps. For Indian fans, the interesting part is the reason behind the rest.
The squads at a glance
| ODI squad | T20I squad |
|---|---|
| Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Ollie Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Liam Scott, Adam Zampa | Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Joel Davies, Jack Edwards, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Spencer Johnson, Mitch Owen, Lachlan Shaw, Adam Zampa |
Head, Green, Carey, Inglis, Renshaw and Connolly play the ODIs only, to manage their workload before the Test summer. Nathan Ellis misses the ODIs while he recovers from a side strain but is back for the T20Is. Sam Harper and Lachlan Shaw are the uncapped names, according to Outlook India.
Why the big three are missing
Australia’s Test season is packed. A home series against New Zealand begins on 9 December, and a five-Test tour of India follows, per Outlook India. Both are World Test Championship series. Bailey’s reasoning, as reported, was the tight recovery window before the New Zealand Tests.
That means Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood are being saved for red-ball cricket. India’s batters will likely face all three, fresh, in the Test series.
Dates and venues
- 1st ODI: 13 November, Perth Stadium
- 2nd ODI: 15 November, Adelaide Oval
- 3rd ODI: 18 November, Bellerive Oval, Hobart
- T20Is: 21 November (MCG), 24 November (Gold Coast), 27 November (Gabba), 29 November (SCG), 2 December (Canberra)
The World Cup 2027 angle
WA Cricket’s preview frames this series as preparation for next year’s World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Three ODIs is a small sample, but it is one of the few chances Australia have to look at back-up seamers in the 50-over format before the tournament. Beardman, back after a back stress fracture according to Outlook India, is the name to watch. WA Cricket says he would make his ODI debut if picked. Bailey said the selectors are “incredibly excited for his return”, according to ANI.
Our take
This is a sensible call, and it says a lot about priorities. Australia clearly rate the India Test tour above a three-match ODI series. The risk is small. Their senior pace trio has played many ODIs and will not need much time to get ready for the World Cup 2027 schedule. The bigger gain is finding out whether Bartlett, Johnson and Beardman can carry an attack against a strong England batting line-up. If one of them stands out, Australia go into 2027 with genuine depth. If not, they are still leaning on three fast bowlers who will all be in their thirties by the tournament.
FAQs
Is Pat Cummins playing the ODIs against England?
No. Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood have all been rested for the ODI and T20I series.
Who is Australia’s captain against England?
Mitchell Marsh leads both the ODI and T20I squads.
Sources
- ANI: Australia announce squads for England white-ball series
- Outlook India: Australia ODI and T20I squads for England series
- WA Cricket: Strong WA presence expected for Perth Stadium ODI
About this story. Written by the T20 Cricinfo desk from the sources listed above. England’s squads for the tour were not covered in the reports we checked.
