Australia Adds Cooper Connolly and Fraser-McGurk to Squad for Scotland and England Tour; Pat Cummins Rested

Pat Cummins Rested for England & Scotland Tour

Australia has announced their squad for the upcoming tour of Scotland and England, with 20-year-old spin-bowling all-rounder Cooper Connolly making his debut in the T20I squad. The team is set to play three T20Is in Scotland in September, followed by a series of as many T20Is and five ODIs in the UK. Jake Fraser-McGurk has also been named in both squads.

Mitchell Marsh will lead both teams, taking over from Pat Cummins, who will be rested for the entire 11-game tour. Additionally, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will be rested for the six T20Is but are expected to return for the five-match ODI series against England. Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are part of the ODI setup, looking ahead to the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

Connolly, formerly Australia’s Under-19 captain, has played 15 T20s, scoring 226 runs at an average of 28.25 and a strike rate of 145.80. As a left-arm spinner, he has also taken six wickets with an economy rate of 7. He fills the gap left by Matthew Wade and Ashton Agar, likely batting lower down the order.

David Warner’s retirement from international cricket opens the door for Fraser-McGurk, a dynamic 22-year-old batsman. He will partner Travis Head at the top of the order. Matthew Short will miss the T20I series due to the birth of his first child but is expected to return for the ODIs.

Australia’s squad sees changes from their 2024 T20 World Cup lineup, with Spencer Johnson, Aaron Hardie, and Xavier Bartlett also included. Alex Carey and Sean Abbott are named in the ODI squad. National men’s selection chair George Bailey highlighted the opportunity to introduce new players and give senior players time to prepare for upcoming seasons.

Also read: India Coaching Staff Appointments: Who Will be Batting, Bowling, and Fielding Coaches Under Gambhir

The tour begins with a T20I series against Scotland from September 4-7 in Edinburgh, followed by T20Is against England on September 11, 13, and 15 before transitioning to ODIs starting September 19.

Australia’s T20I squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), 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’s ODI squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

IPL 2024

Related articles