SYDNEY: Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head were Monday ruled out of Australia’s home one-day series against Pakistan next month, but Pat Cummins returns as captain after missing their recent England tour.

Marsh and Head have both been granted paternity leave, opening the door for Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short to open the batting together.

Cameron Green was also absent from the 14-man squad, with the all-rounder to undergo back surgery this week that will sideline him for six months.

Cummins missed the white-ball tour of England and Scotland to rest, but is back to captain the ODI team for the first time since winning the 2023 World Cup in India nearly a year ago and is named along with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, the other regular members of Australia’s Test pace lineup.

Marcus Stoinis returns after being overlooked for England, while Cooper Connolly, who made his ODI and T20 debut during the white-ball tour of the UK, retains his place along with rising all-rounder Aaron Hardie, who impressed against England.

The squad also includes batters Steve Smith and Marnus Labushagne and white ball regulars Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis and Adam Zampa.

The series starts on Nov 4 in Melbourne, with matches to follow in Adelaide (Nov 8) and Perth (Nov 10), and is followed by three Twenty20s.

Squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2024