Jason Behrendorff and Tanveer Sangha on Monday were named in Australia’s 23-member preliminary squad for the upcoming limited-overs tour of West Indies.
Australia and West Indies are set to lock horns in five T20Is and three ODIs in July this year. The likes of Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, David Warner, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey, and Pat Cummins return to the squad after missing the recent white-ball tour of New Zealand.
Jason Behrendorff Named In Australia’s 23 Member Preliminary Squad For 5 T20Is And 3 ODIs Against And In West Indies
Hard-hitting middle-order batsmen Matthew Wade, Marcus Stoinis, and Mitchell Marsh join opener D’Arcy Short in the mix for the final batting places. They all add the flexibility of being able to play in the top or middle-order. Highly rated batsman Josh Phillipe adds another top-order option with captain Aaron Finch and David Warner and as an additional backup wicketkeeper-batsman to Alex Carey and Matthew Wade.
Experienced all-rounders Marcus Stoinis, Moises Henriques, and Mitchell Marsh are joined by the in-form hard-hitting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell in the preliminary squad. Daniel Sams advised the NSP he was unavailable for selection for the tour of the West Indies on health and wellbeing grounds. CA supports Daniel Sams’s decision.
Jason Behrendorff made his T20I debut for Australia against India on 7 October 2017. On 12 January 2019, he made his One Day International (ODI) debut against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, taking 2 wickets. In April 2019, Jason Behrendorff was named to Australia’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. On 25 June 2019 in the match against England, Jason Behrendorff took his first five-wicket haul in ODIs. He has played 11 ODIs and 7 T20Is picking up 16 and 7 scalps respectively.
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Pacers Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson, and Andrew Tye join Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc as the primary pace strike weapons. They are joined by pacer Riley Meredith and left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff.
National selector Trevor Hohns said: “This preliminary list gives selectors a solid base from which to choose a final touring party in the coming weeks while allowing players to prepare.”
“The Australian men’s T20 squad has the ability to match it with any team in the world and the competition for places will be fierce, which is exactly what we are looking for. The West Indies men’s team has won two of the six ICC T20 World Cups played, including the most recent tournament in India and 2016, and this series will provide us with excellent preparation ahead of the 2021 edition in October and November,” he added.
Ben Oliver, CA’s EGM of National Teams said: “It was great to see our Olympians receiving their vaccination shots ahead of the Tokyo Games and we are working through logistics for the Australian men’s team with the relevant agencies. We will comply with all government directives in relation to vaccinations and international travel.”
Marnus Labuschagne, however, will remain in Wales with county side Glamorgan because of “the logistical complexities of joining the squad from the UK and associated quarantines”, Cricket Australia (CA) said in a news release. Australia will play three one-dayers in Barbados and five 20-over internationals in St Lucia as they continue their preparations for the World Twenty20 in India later this year.
Australia’s 23-member preliminary squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Tanveer Sangha, D’Arcy Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.