Australia have announced the 15-member squad for the ODI and T20 series against India on Friday (18th August).
Left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc, Australia’s bowling spearhead, has been left out of the squad set to tour India for the limited overs series in September which was previously in jeopardy due to the pay dispute between CA and ACA.
He has been rested to aid his recovery from a foot injury and is likely to make a comeback in the domestic one-day cup for NSW Blues.
There will be four men making a comeback to the national limited overs setup, as all-rounders James Faulkner, Ashton Agar and Hilton Cartwright along with pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile have been included.
Faulkner’s return, in particular, is exciting as he was surprisingly left out of the squad for the Champions trophy earlier this year. He is particularly known as a limited overs specialist and has a vast experience in the subcontinent.
Coulter-Nile was relieved from his most recent injury trouble after playing in the Indian Premier League earlier this year while Cartwright, the 25-year-old batsman, who made his Test debut in January this year against Pakistan, has earned his maiden limited overs call-up.
“Nathan brings raw pace to the side with good variation,” selector Trevor Hohns said of Coulter-Nile’s selection. “It is great to see him back from injury and we are hopeful he will have a big impact in this series.
“James Faulkner is a solid One-Day campaigner and is very familiar with subcontinent conditions, coming off a very good tour of Sri Lanka last year. We hope that he will take his chance in returning to the one-day side.
“Hilton is an aggressive striker of the ball and we think his game will be well suited to the transition to short-form cricket.”
Australia ODI squad:
Steve Smith, David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Patrick Cummins, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa Australia
T20 squad:
Steve Smith (C), David Warner (VC), Jason Behrendorff, Dan Christian, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Patrick Cummins, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Tim Paine, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa.