Cricket: White-ball team’s uncertain journey begins, without Usman Khawaja

The Australian white-ball cricket team will board a plane in nine days bound for the UK and will return to an uncertain future.

Steve Smith is among players who will go to the IPL after the England tour.

Usman Khawaja’s fall from grace continues with the batsman one of five left out of the 21-man squad named for England on Friday afternoon.

As revealed in The Australian, the white-ball outfit will board a plane bound for the UK next weekend and will return mid-September, although most big names, including David Warner, Steve Smith and Pat Cummins will not be back until November because of the IPL.

The first Australian side to tour since the pandemic struck leaves Australia on August 23. It will stop for a series of warm-up matches in Derby before playing three ODIs and three T20s at Southampton and Manchester.

Khawaja, Ben McDermott, D’Arcy Short, Michael Neser and Travis Head were named in the original squad but will be left behind.

 

Khawaja, a critical part of the 2019 World Cup side, cannot find a way back in with Smith, Warner, Labuschagne and captain Aaron Finch at the top of the order.

Selector George Bailey and batting coach Trent Woodhill will travel with the team to fill in for missing coaches Andrew McDonald and Sri Sridharan.

As was also reported in The Australian, McDonald will fulfil his coaching commitments with his IPL franchise — an arrangement agreed to before the tournament was postponed.

Woodhill’s presence will be a boost for Smith and Warner as he is both batsmen’s personal batting consultant.

After the tour, a core of star players will peel off and fly to the UAE for the IPL and the rest will return to two weeks quarantine in Perth.

Cricket Australia has not yet received any indication from the West Australian government about whether it can train while in the hub.

There are a number of options being considered for the summer, one of which includes playing a white-ball series against India and pushing back the first Test to December 17.

This would possibly see a white-ball squad quarantined for that series, red-ball players quarantined for the Test summer and the BBL, scheduled to begin December 3, denied most of the best local players.

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It is unclear what quarantine regulations players returning from the IPL, which finishes November 10, would face.

Glenn Maxwell’s return is the reason Short, who played in the white-ball tour of South Africa, has been cut from the squad while fellow all-rounder Marcus Stoinis is also back in the fold

Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams and Riley Meredith also join the UK squad.

“We are very excited by these young players who we believe are all capable of playing a role in the Australian set-up in coming years,” chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said.

Cricket Australia’s acting chief executive Nick Hockley commended the England and Wales Cricket Board for “leading the resumption of the game in a way that places the health and safety of players and staff at its core”.

“We would also like to thank both the Australian Government and the Western Australian Government, as well as all those who have worked tirelessly to put together a plan that allows for the tour to progress in a bio-secure way.”

Australian coach Justin Langer understands the importance of the tour to England, which is facing a big financial loss on its summer because of the pandemic.

“It’s vital for cricket that we do everything we can to keep the game going in these tough times,” the coach said. .

“I am delighted with how the players have returned to their states from the break back in March. The whole squad has come back fitter and stronger, which is great testament to each of them.

“We have a massive assignment ahead with world cups, Test series against India and South Africa and the Ashes next year. We can’t wait to get back into it again.”

In another change, Aaron Finch will captain the side with Pat Cummins as vice-captain. In the past he has shared that role with Alex Carey.

“After taking advice and reviewing the leadership of the squad we have decided to revert back to the traditional captain and one vice-captain set-up,” Hohns said.

“Alex remains a genuine leader within the squad and will continue to provide valuable support to Aaron as skipper. Pat is very much in the same category and someone the entire squad has immense respect for as a person and a player. This is not a reflection of succession planning, but rather a decision to return to the traditional leadership set-up that has served Australian cricket so well for generations.

“We now have quite an established and experienced senior playing group who all play an important role in the leadership of the team on and off the field. As has always been the case all senior players have a strong voice in all aspects of planning, preparation and playing.”