Cricket Australia (CA) has added six more players to its 29-member preliminary squad for the upcoming limited-overs tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh. They are Ben McDermott, Dan Christian, Cameron Green, Ashton Turner, Wes Agar and Nathan Ellis.
CA made the additions after discussing with the initial preliminary list. To quote them, the experience away from home after staying in bio-secure bubbles and the quarantine protocols has ‘had an impact on the health and wellbeing of some players and their families’.
‘CA has maintained that the wellbeing of players, staff and officials is a top priority, and never more so than during the Covid-19 pandemic given the extraordinary challenges it has placed upon international athletes and sporting teams.,’ a statement read.
Daniel Sams had withdrawn himself from the squad on mental health grounds after the first half of the IPL.
McDermott and Christian are currently playing in the County Championship for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire respectively. They will return to Australia this week and be in a two-week quarantine before the squad departs for the Caribbean on 28 June. The final squad is likely to be announced next week.
Trevor Hohns, the CA national selector, said: ‘We are delighted to recall Ben, Dan, Cameron and Ashton and welcome Wes and Nathan onto the preliminary list of players for the scheduled Qantas Australian Men’s tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh.’
Australia will play five T20Is against the West Indies on 9, 10, 12, 14 and 16 July, all in St Lucia. This will be followed by three ODIs in Barbados, on 20, 22 and 24 July.
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Tanveer Sangha, D’Arcy Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa