Australia head to South Africa prioritising T20 matches with home World Cup in mind
Australia will name a solely T20 squad for this month’s tour of South Africa, and then fly in additional players if needed for the ODIs as preparations for the T20 World Cup step up a gear.
Cricket
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Australia will take 14 players to South Africa for this month’s three-match Twenty20 series and then fly in any ring-ins for the three one-day internationals that follow.
Coach Justin Langer’s white-ball squads overlap so heavily that selectors will only name a T20 squad, which is due to be unveiled after Saturday’s Big Bash League Grand Final.
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Both squads are relatively settled. The Aussies went undefeated in the home T20s this summer and captain Aaron Finch said the ODI squad played “bloody well” in January’s 2-1 series loss in India.
The only ODI incumbents who weren’t selected for the recent T20 series are Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne and Peter Handscomb.
They took the places of T20 trio Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott and Billy Stanlake.
Sean Abbott replaced AJ Tye (elbow) during the T20 series, but was then named in the initial ODI squad before he suffered a side strain
D’Arcy Short was initially overlooked in both squads, however he came in as a replacement player both times.
Short replaced Maxwell (mental health) during the T20 series and then took Abbott’s spot for the ODIs in India but sat on the bench in both series.
The T20 series will see Steve Smith and David Warner return to Cape Town for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal.
The player most likely to burst into the T20 squad appears to be Jonathan Wells, 31, after a breakout Big Bash season.
The Adelaide Strikers batsman – who has never played for Australia – averaged 74 runs during the home-and-away season, striking at a 136.2 and posting four half-centuries.
Wells could come in for struggling middle-order finisher Ashton Turner.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Brisbane Heat captain Chris Lynn have both backed Marnus Labuschagne to evolve into a T20 star for Australia.
The Aussies might be tempted to give Labuschagne a go in the T20 arena to test him out six months before a home World Cup.
Flying the ODI-specialists over to South Africa later will ensure those players are available for the round of Sheffield Shield matches starting on February 24.
Likewise, any T20 players not required for the ODIs can return in time for the Sheffield Shield games starting on March 6.