The dust hasn't even settled yet and the two finalists of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, India and Australia will be up against each other in a five-match T20 series starting in a couple of days on November 23 in Vizag. Australia had announced their squad nearly a month ago while India named theirs a day after a heartbreaking loss in the World Cup final. Now a couple of days later, there are a few changes in Australia's squad, the major one being the withdrawal of veteran opener David Warner.
Warner, who was part of the T20 squad, being one of the seven members of the World Cup side including Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis, Travis Head and Adam Zampa, has returned home, following a demanding World Cup. "Selectors decided Warner would return home on the back of a successful yet demanding World Cup campaign," Cricket Australia said in a statement.
Warner, who has indicated that he is nearing his last in international cricket, was boastful about playing another World Cup with a response "Who said I'm finished??" on a social media post, which said that he played his last World Cup. The Pakistan-Australia Test series next month is set to be his final assignment in the whites and even though he has refused a central contract for the next year, the veteran has expressed his desire to play the T20 World Cup next year in the Caribbean and the United States and the Champions Trophy 2025.
Warner has been replaced by all-rounder Aaron Hardie in the squad, who gave a good account of himself in the ODI and T20 series against South Africa before the World Cup. Another change in the squad was the recall of pacer Kane Richardson, who has replaced injured Spencer Johnson.
Australia's updated squad for the T20 series: Matthew Wade (c), Aaron Hardie, Jason Behrendorff, Sean Abbott, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa
