Australia's Chief Selector George Bailey Hints Changes To The Indian Tour

Australia’s chief men’s cricket selector, George Bailey, has acknowledged that Victorian skipper Peter Handscomb is still on the radar, but adjustments could be in the works for the upcoming Indian tour.

Following the conclusion of the Big Bash League, Australia will fly for India, where they will play four Tests after facing the West Indies in a two-Test series and South Africa in a three-Test series this summer.

Bailey indicated that adjustments might be made with a larger squad size and different conditions in India after Australia selected a strong PM’s XI side to play the West Indies in a four-day tour game in Canberra.

“I would envisage the tour to India may have some different names to it than what the tour does over the (Australian) summer, just because of the conditions,” Bailey said.

“They are every chance to be very different.”

“Because it’s an away tour you take a slightly bigger squad anyway.”

“Plus it’s at the back of a (home) summer and there’s a reasonable amount of cricket that would have been played by then” George Bailey Added.

“Peter Handscomb remains absolutely on our radar”: George Bailey

Changes look unlikely unless an injury occurs during the home summer, with Australia’s 13-man team to face the West Indies revealed yesterday, which includes all of Australia’s projected first-choice XI, as well as Marcus Harris and Scott Boland.

Victorian teammate Peter Handscomb, on the other hand, can consider himself unlucky, having lit the globe on fire throughout last year’s Sheffield Shield campaign and again at the start of this season.

The middle-order batsman has occasionally battled against pace but shines against spin, and Bailey acknowledged that he is still very much on the team’s radar for selection.

“Pete remains absolutely on our radar,” Bailey said.

“He was selected on Australia A tour to Sri Lanka in the winter, (but missed it) while having a baby at the same time.”

“He’s started the season fantastically and finished the last Shield year fantastically.”

Josh Inglis will serve as captain of the PM’s XI team, which Handscomb has been chosen for.

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