On Thursday, Cricket Australia (CA) announced their 26-man squad for a potential limited-over tour of England. They recalled their star batsman Usman Khawaja and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell in the squad. Australia was slated for three ODI matches and three T20 international matches in England this month, but the tour got pushed further due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, CA is aiming for a September window after the international cricket in England resumed last week behind closed doors. However, CA said that it will have overcome several hurdles before they decide to lock the dates.
But the selectors have decided to name a preliminary group to give them proper training and practice and also time to prepare, with a final squad to announced if the plans for the tour go ahead.
Ben Oliver, the head of CA’s national team said, “The England Cricket Board (ECB) are a long-standing and valued international cricket partner and we are doing all we can to give the tour the best possible chance of taking place.”
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He further added, “In the meantime, the identification of a preliminary list will enable us to work with players and states more directly on the preparation for the tour in the hope it can proceed.”
Three uncapped players have also been included in the 26-man squad, including limited-over specialists- Daniel Sams, Riley Meredith, and Josh Philippe. However, veteran players- Shaun Marsh, and Nathan Coulter-Nile didn’t get their place in the squad.
Nevertheless, Glenn Maxwell returns to the Aussie squad after taking a break in October last year to deal with mental health issues.
Alongside Maxwell, Test discard Khawaja, who has not played for his country since being axed during last year’s Ashes series in England, also gets a recall. All-rounder Marcus Stoinis also has been picked in the squad.