SYDNEY – Cricket Australia has announced a reshuffled limited-overs squad for its back-to-back tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh later this month, making the call to rest three of its star fast bowlers: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. The high-profile trio will sit out the entire three-match ODI series against Pakistan, which kicks off in Rawalpindi on May 30, opening the door for a wave of emerging young talent to earn their first senior international call-ups. Uncapped all-rounder Liam Scott and Ollie Peake, former captain of Australia’s Under-19 World Cup side, are the two first-time senior selections for the Pakistan tour, while promising young batter Joel Davies has earned a spot in Australia’s T20 squad for the Bangladesh series set for June.
Several players with ongoing Indian Premier League commitments – Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, and Xavier Bartlett – will link up with the national squad after finishing their franchise commitments in the T20 league. Notably, veteran star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been left out of the squads for both tours entirely. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh will lead the Australian side across both tours, as the program forms a key early part of the team’s preparation for the 2025 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe in October next year.
In comments announcing the squad, national selection chairman George Bailey emphasized that these back-to-back subcontinental tours represent a critical development opportunity for Australia’s next generation of cricket talent. “It’s always exciting to see new players get an opportunity to play international cricket and be a part of the national team,” Bailey said. “The blend of experienced players coupled with new or returning players will provide a nice mix for these subcontinent tours. Continuing to provide opportunities for players to develop across a broad range of conditions and experiences is important and will continue to be a focus over the next 18 months to two years.”
The decision to rest Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood is a strategic one: the three frontline bowlers will use the break to build up fitness and prepare for Australia’s upcoming World Test Championship campaign, which resumes in August with a two-match home test series against Bangladesh.
Following the Pakistan ODI series, which will continue with matches in Lahore on June 2 and 4, Australia will travel to Bangladesh for three ODIs in Dhaka on June 9, 11 and 14, followed by three T20 Internationals in Chattogram on June 17, 19 and 21.