Sydney: Test batsmen Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja have been released from Cricket Australia's Invitational XI to play England in the last pre-Ashes tour match starting Wednesday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Cricket Australia said Callum Ferguson had been added to the invitational lineup for the warmup due to his lack of opportunities to bat for Australia A in the rain-reduced tour match against England at Hobart last week.
Hughes and Khawaja, originally selected for the Invitational XI, will return to their provincial teams for Sheffield Shield matches starting Nov. 13. Khawaja was allowed to play for injury-depleted Queensland against New South Wales at the Gabba — venue for the first Ashes test — while Hughes was replaced by South Australia teammate Ferguson.
"In light of Callum's selection, Phil Hughes, who has played a lot of international cricket in recent months, will remain with South Australia for its next Shield match," Cricket Australia team performance manager Pat Howard said in a statement.
England is chasing a fourth consecutive Ashes series win for the first time in more than a century. The five-test series starts Nov. 21 in Brisbane.
The Invitational XI has a strong batting lineup led by test opener Ed Cowan, but is weak in the bowling department.
Cricket Australia responded to England's requests for stronger pre-Ashes competition by upgrading the team from a New South Wales XI to an invitational lineup. But the bulk of the bowlers are still second-stringers from the New South Wales squad.
"In selecting the XI, we have tried to be flexible given the needs of particular states and individual players following the latest round of first-class matches across the country," Howard said.
Cricket Australia XI: Ed Cowan, Aaron Finch, Callum Ferguson, Adam Voges, Ben Rohrer, Ryan Carters, Peter Nevill, Stephen O'Keefe, Josh Lalor, Chris Tremain, Nic Bills.
