Australia’s New Leadership: Mitch Marsh to Captain White-Ball Tour

Australia’s ODI World Cup-winning captain, Pat Cummins, will be rested for the upcoming white-ball tour of the United Kingdom. In his place, Mitch Marsh, the reigning Allan Border medallist, will lead the team for five one-day matches against England, following his recent captaincy during the T20 World Cup.

The tour schedule includes three T20 matches against Scotland and England in September, prior to the 50-over games. Cummins’s absence is part of a "pre-planned, long-term load management strategy." Both star bowler Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will miss the T20s but will return for the ODIs. This tour marks the first since veteran opener David Warner's official retirement from international cricket, with the promising young player Jake Fraser-McGurk being named in both squads. Veteran wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who had a disappointing T20 World Cup, has been omitted in favour of Josh Inglis. Additionally, young West Australian talent Cooper Connolly has earned his first national selection for the T20 squad.

George Bailey, the chairman of selectors, highlighted the opportunity this tour provides to introduce new players in the absence of Warner and Wade, while also allowing senior players to prepare for the home summer and a busy upcoming year.

Bailey expressed satisfaction with giving Cooper Connolly his first chance in the T20 squad, joining the ranks of other newcomers like Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson, Xavier Bartlett, and Aaron Hardie, who have been introduced over the past year. These players are considered exciting prospects to complement established names like Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, and Josh Inglis in Australia’s white-ball setup.

With the Champions Trophy approaching early next year, a white-ball series against Pakistan leading into the summer, and a significant home Test series against India, substantial planning has gone into the next six months. This includes the gradual integration of new players into the white-ball squads based on their excellent performances in the Big Bash League or state cricket.

Australia T20 squad: Mitch Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

Australia ODI squad: Mitch Marsh (captain), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.