Australia has rested star pace bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc from the upcoming white-ball series against England, which begins in Perth on 13 November, as selectors manage player workloads ahead of a heavy red-ball Test schedule.
The veteran seamers played all three Tests in a recent 2-1 series defeat against South Africa, prompting selectors to stand them down for the three-match ODI series and subsequent T20 fixtures. While Cummins formally remains Australia’s one-day captain, he has played only one 50-over fixture since November 2024. Mitchell Marsh will step in to captain the side for the longer format against Harry Brook’s side. Starc, 36, has already retired from the format, while Hazlewood is 35 years old.
Workload Management for a Heavy Test Schedule
Australia faces a grueling stretch of 10 Tests over 14 weeks. Following the conclusion of the England T20 series on 2 December, the team prepares for a four-match home Test series against New Zealand starting on 9 December. That assignment leads directly into a five-Test series in India beginning on 21 January, followed by a one-off Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from 11 March to celebrate 150 years of Test cricket. Beyond those fixtures, Australia could reach the World Test Championship final at the Oval on 9 June, ahead of an Ashes series running from 18 June to 2 August, followed by an ODI World Cup in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe beginning on 7 October.
Live coverage of England’s white ball tour of Australia – with three one-day internationals and five T20 matches – will be live on TNT Sports, with highlights on Channel 5.The Australia v England Test in Melbourne in March will also be live on TNT.https://t.co/VtY7peP5JP
To manage this workload, each player’s build-up to the New Zealand series will be carefully planned and focused on individual’s physical and mental preparation.
George Bailey, chair of selectors
Bailey noted that once Test players assemble in Perth, the squad will spend more than 100 days on the road through the conclusion of the anniversary Test against England.
Squad Changes and New Faces Against England
With the pace trio sidelined, selectors brought in fresh depth across both squads. The Hobart Hurricanes’ recently crowned Australian T20 player of the year Tim David will spearhead the Twenty20 squad, and hard-hitting opening batter Jake Fraser-McGurk has won back a place in Australia’s T20 team for the first time since 2025.
Other red-ball regulars, including Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, and Matt Renshaw, are named exclusively for the 50-over matches and rotated out for the T20 series. Meanwhile, Nathan Ellis has not recovered in time for the ODI series as he returns from a side strain suffered during the September tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe, restricting him solely to the T20 squad.
Australia Squad Line-Ups for the England Tour
| Format | Squad Members |
|---|---|
| ODI and T20 Squads | Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Jack Edwards, Spencer Johnson, Adam Zampa |
| ODI Squad Only | Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Ollie Peake, Matt Renshaw, Liam Scott |
| T20 Squad Only | Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Mitchell Owen, Lachlan Shaw |
The opening ODI takes place at Optus Stadium on 13 November, following an England warm-up match at the WACA in Perth on 7 November. The series runs through the final T20 in Canberra on 2 December.
Worth a look
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