Australia Champions Trophy squad: Pat Cummins backed to beat injury; Beau Webster on standby

Sydney Test sensation Beau Webster is in the frame for a one-day call-up if Australia makes late changes to its Champions Trophy squad. SEE THE 15-MAN SQUAD

Sydney Test sensation Beau Webster is in the frame for a one-day call-up if Australia makes a late change to its Champions Trophy squad with the Tasmanian all-rounder among those on standby for the touring party unveiled on Monday.

Mitch Marsh is meanwhile considered the frontrunner to replace Pat Cummins should the Australian skipper be forced from the 50-over event with selection chair George Bailey conceding that the star paceman was no certainty to front for the tournament as he deals with an ankle issue.

National selectors have backed the majority of the squad that led them to World Cup glory in India 14 months ago, meaning there was no spot for the struggling Jake Fraser-McGurk for the tournament held in Pakistan and the UAE and beginning next month.

Marsh and Travis Head are back after missing November’s one-day series against Pakistan, while veteran all-rounder Marcus Stoinis – axed for the World Cup semi-final in 2023 – has been backed in alongside fellow West Australian Aaron Hardie in a 15-man preliminary squad still missing the injured Cameron Green.

Josh Hazlewood has been selected despite his recent calf injury, while Hardie and Matt Short have both been selected in a senior ICC event squad for the first time.

Beau Webster (L) could offer cover for Australia’s Champions Trophy squad. Picture: William West/AFP

The selection of versatile all-rounder Short helped ensure there was no room for top order option Fraser-McGurk, who produced modest output alongside Short at the top of the order during the Pakistan series.

Fraser-McGurk, anointed by David Warner as the retired star’s heir apparent, has also failed to fire during the Big Bash League with the Melbourne Renegades, with his Indian Premier League exploits last year a distant memory.

“As far as Jake goes, I think he’s still very young,” Bailey said.

“We know that’s going to be a journey. The skill set is still incredibly exciting, but I do think that’s going to be a journey with him.”

Nathan Ellis has shaded Sean Abbott for the role of backup paceman to Cummins, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, while Spencer Johnson, Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett have also been bypassed.

That group would be the leading contenders to replace Cummins if he is ruled out. Marsh has filled in as captain in one-day cricket over the past couple of years and led Australia at last year’s Twenty20 World Cup.

“I believe he’s (Cummins has) had the scan (on his ankle), but want to give him a little bit of space at the back end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and obviously, baby pending (Cummins’ second child), so we’ll work through that in good time,” Bailey said.

Bailey would not commit to Marsh as skipper if Cummins was forced to pull out.

“We’ve had a number of players who have done it in the recent past. Mitch has obviously done it a little bit of late. So again, we’ll work through that in a good time.”

There is no room either for a second specialist spinner behind Adam Zampa, with Tanveer Sangha missing the cut. Cooper Connolly, more of a spinning all-rounder, has also been left out, leaving Short, Head and Glenn Maxwell as the major spin support for leggie Zampa.

Seaming all-rounder Webster could not make his way past Stoinis, Hardie or Marsh but it’s understood he is one of a handful of players outside the squad who are going through the process of getting visas for Pakistan as cover for the 15. The squad can be changed ahead of the tournament.

Webster, 31, is uncapped in white-ball cricket but is the second-leading wicket-taking in this season’s Dean Jones Trophy, with 11 scalps including a haul of 6-17 against Western Australia.

He made 96 runs across two innings (dismissed just once) as well as taking a wicket on Test debut against India earlier in the month, and is part of the Australian Test squad for the series in Sri Lanka beginning later this month.

Australia plays a one-off one-dayer in Sri Lanka before heading to Pakistan.

The Aussies last won the Champions Trophy in 2009.

Originally published as Australia Champions Trophy squad: Pat Cummins backed to beat injury; Beau Webster on standby