The only difference between squads for Australia’s series against South Africa and New Zealand is Jhye Richardson, who will not feature against Blackcaps.
Australia cricketers. (Photo by Michael Sheehan / AFP)
Australia pace bowler Jhye Richardson, who suffered a longstanding shoulder injury, has been picked in the squad for the ODI series against South Africa beginning on Saturday.
However, he will not be a part of the Australian squad which will take on New Zealand in their next 50-overs series. Cricket Australia (CA) named an otherwise unchanged squad for the assignments against the Blackcaps.
Richardson picked up the injury ahead of last year’s ODI World Cup. After remaining out of international cricket for more than 10 months, the fast bowler was drafted into Australia’s T20I squad for the series against the Proteas.
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Though the 23-year-old has not featured in the first two T20is of the three-match series, the Australian management imposed their faith on him and his performance in the recently-concluded Big Bash League to give him a place in the ODI squad.
“Jhye is performing exceptionally well, as we saw throughout the Big Bash. He has slotted back into the T20 squad in South Africa and is pushing for a place in that side,” chief selector Trevor Hohns was quoted as saying by CA’s digital platform cricket.com.au.
“We are very fortunate to have such a deep pool of fast bowlers. Jhye has earned his place after the hard work he has done to get back into his best form after a serious injury. Keeping him in South Africa with the one-day squad gives us another exceptional fast bowler who is ready to go,” Hohns added.
In the second T20I, South Africa on Sunday defeated Australia by 12 runs to square the series in Port Elizabeth. Quinton de Kock, who played a captain’s knock of 70 runs off 47 balls to help his team post a fighting total, was declared the Player of the Match.
Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (C), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (VC), Pat Cummins (VC), Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Jhye Richardson (SA series only), Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
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