Smith, Maxwell and Starc back in Australia squad for India ODIs

Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc are back in Australia’s squad for their trip to India for three ODIs before the start of the World Cup. All three missed the recent tour of South Africa with injuries. Matthew Short, meanwhile, has been called up to the squad as a top-order replacement for Travis Head, whose participation in the World Cup is in doubt after he fractured his left hand during the fourth ODI against South Africa.

A CA release said Head “will undertake further medical review on return to Australia before a return to play schedule is determined.”

Short, who is yet to make his ODI debut, earned his T20I cap in South Africa and scored a match-winning 30-ball 66 in the second game of that series. Since then he has played two unofficial ODIs for Australia A against New Zealand A in Brisbane, and scored a half-century in his most recent innings.

With Smith, Maxwell and Starc back in the squad, there is no room for Aaron Hardie, Tim David and Michael Neser, the first two of whom made their ODI debuts during the South Africa tour. Ashton Agar, who is on paternity leave, will also miss the India series.

Left-arm quick Spencer Johnson, who was added to the ODI squad in South Africa as a replacement for Starc, will remain with the squad. So will Marnus Labuschagne, who wasn’t part of their South Africa contingent, but found a way into the squad thanks to Smith’s wrist injury, and then into the XI as a concussion sub for Cameron Green, before forcing himself back into the reckoning for the World Cup with scores of 80* and 124 in the first two ODIs.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

More to follow…

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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