Australia have called up their U19 World Cup star Mahli Beardman in their squad for the five-match ODI series against England as a standby player. The Aussies are looking to address the injury issues of their fast bowlers.
Beardman was the Player of the Match of the U19 World Cup 2024 final against India as he picked 3/15 in Australia's victory. He is among the speedsters on whom the cricket board is keeping an eye alongside Callum Vidler, Charlie Anderson and Tom Straker.
The Aussies are facing injury issues to their fast-bowling stocks. The likes of Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson and Riley Meredith have picked up injuries recently. Bartlett was ruled out of the England T20Is after a side strain in the first T20I against the Three Lions.
Ellis was pulled from Australia's tour of Scotland after compounding his injury in The Hundred. Johnson and Meredith also sustained side issues with the former missing the whole Scotland series and the latter only playing in the first T20I.
Pat Cummins is not in the team too as he is building up for the five-match Test series against India later in the year, while Josh Hazlewood is being closely monitored after a calf issue saw him miss the Scotland series. Australia are taking caution for their big three (Hazlewood, Cummins and Mitchell Starc) ahead of the India Tests.
"A lot of our priorities will be geared around that. You'll see that unfold with the management of our players. We'll be very pointed around who does what in terms of [Sheffield] Shield cricket coming into the summer to make sure that they are ready for that first Test match," Australia's coach Andrew McDonald told SEN.
The Aussies will be having four specialist fast bowlers for the England ODIs as Ben Dwarshuis, Starc, Hazlewood and Sean Abbott will form a four-pronged pace attack. All-rounders Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie and captain Mitch Marsh will be the other pace options available for the visitors.
The series will begin on September 19 with the first ODI in Nottingham. The two teams will meet again a couple of days later in Leeds, before a face-off in Chester-Le-Street on September 24. The caravan will then head to the iconic Lord's for the fourth game on September 27, followed by the final match a couple of days later in Bristol.
Australia's ODI squad for the England series:
Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, 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. Reserve: Mahli Beardma
