Oz call up Labuschagne for India ODIS
SYDNEY:GLENN Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis were left out of the Australia squad for next month’s limited overs tour of India on Tuesday as Marnus Labuschagne was handed a chance to earn his first one-day cap.
Australia return to the 50-overs format for the first time since their World Cup semi-final loss to England in July when they play three day-night matches in India in January.
Aaron Finch will captain the side but coach Justin Langer will not make the trip, with senior assistant coach Andrew Mcdonald taking charge in his stead.
Maxwell and Stoinis both played in the World Cup semi-final despite enjoying disappointing tournaments as Australia looked to them to power the middle order. Labuschagne comes into the squad on the back of some fine form in Test cricket with big centuries in his last three matches for Australia.
Also getting a chance to stake a claim for a spot in the middle order was Ashton Turner, who smashed a brilliant unbeaten 43-ball 84 to help Australia to victory during his debut one-day series in India early this year.
“We ... believe Marnus Labuschagne is ready for his international white ball debut after his strong form for Queensland in this form of the game,” said head selector Trevor Hohns.
“Ashton Turner has proven himself in India with his ability to adapt to local conditions.”
Maxwell recently returned to Twenty20 cricket after taking six weeks off from the game to deal with mental health issues but said last week he was targeting a return to international cricket for the tour. “It is great to see Glenn Maxwell returning to the game in the Big Bash League,” Hohns said. “We will closely monitor his form after what would have been a disappointing 12 months in the one-day game by his standards.”
Adam Zampa was included in the squad despite having lost his place as front-line spinner at the World Cup to Nathan Lyon, who will not tour but remains in the frame for future selection.
Sean Abbott joins the usual suspects in the pace bowling unit with a chance to add a second one-day cap to the one he won against Pakistan more than five years ago.
Hohns said the selectors were keen to use the series to continue preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia at the end of 2020 as well as keeping an eye on developing talent for the 2023 50-overs World Cup in India. Squad: Aaron Finch, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
SIDDLE CALLED INTO SQUAD FOR 2ND NZ TEST
MELBOURNE: Pace bowler Peter Siddle has been brought into Australia’s squad in place of the injured Josh Hazlewood for the second Test against New Zealand on what is expected to be a benign Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch.
Hazlewood suffered a lowgrade hamstring tear in his second over in the opening match of the series in Perth and did not bowl again as Australia romped to a 296-run victory inside four days.
“Peter Siddle helped us retain the Ashes, he’s got over 200 Test wickets, he’s a ripping person around the team,” coach Justin Langer said in Perth. “For the Boxing Day Test match he just seemed like the simple solution.”
The 35-year-old Siddle, who has not played a Test in Australia since late 2016, was still behind James Pattinson and Michael Neser in the pecking order despite the game being played on his home ground, Langer added. “We selected James Pattinson and Michael Neser, they both haven’t played yet,” Langer said. “They’ll be in front of him. That’s about consistency of selection. I’d say James or Michael or both of them will definitely play that Test match.”
Pattinson was unavailable for selection for the first Test against Pakistan in Brisbane last month after being banned for abusing an opponent in a firstclass match. The 29-year-old is also from Victoria but has not played a Test on his home ground in Melbourne since 2015 after a succession of back injuries. Langer had told reporters after the first Test victory in Perth that his side would consider going into the match that starts on December 26 with four pace bowlers and off-spinner Nathan Lyon because the pitch in recent years had favoured batsmen. Pattinson, who has taken 75 wickets in 19 Tests, is likely to be the third seamer alongside Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.
Squad: David Warner, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Travis Head, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle.