Australia have announced a 13-member squad for a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, set to begin on 13 August in Darwin.
Skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are all set to return after missing Australia’s last Ashes fixture against England in Sydney.
Michael Neser remained a notable omission despite his excellent performances in the Ashes series. He, along with spinner Todd Murphy and pacer Brendan Doggett, will remain in the reserves for the upcoming series.
The series will commence a packed season in which Australia will play 20 Tests over the next 11 months until the next Ashes in England, with a possible World Test Championship final (WTC) in June 2027.
Apart from the trio’s inclusion, the rest of the squad is largely the same as the one that played the Sydney Test, including opening batter Jake Weatherald, who has had a stop-start Test career.
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Following the announcement, national selector George Bailey backed the returning trio of Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon after recovering from injuries.
“The NSP [national selection panel] look forward to the return of Pat, Josh and Nathan,” George Bailey said.
“They have worked extremely hard, individually and with the SSSM [sports science, sports medicine] teams, over the past few months to return from their respective injuries.”
Bailey also highlighted Australia’s bench strength amid a packed cricketing calendar.
“While this is a 13-player squad, we have players prepared and available should any adjustments be required in the lead up to these matches. As previously stated, the volume of cricket and schedule across the next 12 months are likely to present further opportunities across all formats for many players,” he noted.
Australia’s Test squad vs Bangladesh
Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
Series schedule:
First Test: August 13-17, Darwin
Second Test: August 22-26, Mackay
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