Cricket Australia has named a 23-member preliminary squad for the upcoming West Indies Tour, consisting of five Twenty20 internationals and three One-Day Internationals in July 2021.
Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, David Warner, Moises Henriques, Alex Carey and Pat Cummins return to the squad after missing the recent white-ball tour of New Zealand.
Hard-hitting batsman Matthew Wade, Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh join D’Arcy Short in the mix for the final batting places. They all add the flexibility of being able to play in the top or middle order.
Batsman Marnus Labuschagne will miss the tour given the logistical complexities of him joining the squad from the UK, where he is currently playing County Cricket with Glamorgan.
Experienced all-rounders Stoinis, Moises Henriques and Marsh are joined by the in-form Maxwell in the preliminary squad. Daniel Sams advised the NSP he was unavailable for selection for the tour of the West Indies on health and wellbeing grounds. CA supports Sams’ decision.
Leg spinners Mitchell Swepson, Tanveer Sanga and Adam Zampa are included in the preliminary squad with a view to the T20 World Cup. Zampa (No. 7) and spin partner Ashton Agar (No. 3) are ranked amongst the top ten T20 bowlers in the world by the ICC.
Pacemen Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson and Andrew Tye join Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc as the primary pace strike weapons. They are joined by gun speedster Riley Meredith and Jason Behrendorff.
Australia’s preliminary squad for West Indies Tour: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Tanveer Sangha, D’Arcy Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner and Adam Zampa.
National selector Trevor Hohns said, “This preliminary list gives selectors a solid base from which to choose a final touring party in the coming weeks while allowing players to prepare. The Australian men’s T20 squad has the ability to match it with any team in the world and the competition for places will be fierce, which is exactly what we are looking for.”
“The West Indies men’s team has won two of the six ICC T20 World Cups played, including the most recent tournament in India and 2016, and this series will provide us with excellent preparation ahead of the 2021 edition in October and November,” he added.
Australian Tour of the West Indies 2021 Schedule:
July 9 7.30 pm: First T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
July 10 7.30 pm: Second T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
July 12 7.30 pm: Third T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
July 14 7.30 pm: Fourth T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
July 16 7.30 pm: Fifth T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
July 20 2.30 pm: First ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
July 22 2.30 pm: Second ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
July 24 2.30 pm: Third ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
