SA vs AUS: Steve Smith And Mitchell Starc Ruled Out Of White-Ball Series Against South Africa; Mitchell Marsh Named Captain In Both Formats
Published - 18 Aug 2023, 05:16 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:17 AM
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Australian cricketers Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith have ruled out the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa due to injuries. However, Cricket Australia (CA) hopes that Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith will be available for the three-match ODI series against India next month.
Steve Smith is expected to be sidelined for up to four weeks due to a tendon injury in his left wrist. Smith was set to open the innings in the T20I series against South Africa. Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc has been dealing with “groin soreness” after a tight schedule in England this summer.
Steve Smith And Mitchell Marsh Ruled Out Of South Africa Tour
National Selection Panel Chair George Bailey said on Friday that the upcoming ODI World Cup is the main priority for them at the moment.
“The compacted Ashes series and the World Test Championship was a heavy load for the group, and we are taking a conservative approach to the build-up to the World Cup,” Bailey said.
“With the World Cup the priority of the squad, it was determined on advice that it was best for Steve and Mitchell to join the group in India by which time we expect them to be fully fit and available for the Indian ODI series, plus the World Cup warm-up fixture,” he added.
Smith participated in all six Test matches during their tour of England, which included the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India. Starc featured in four matches and suffered a shoulder injury during the fourth Ashes Test.
Marnus Labuschagne Named As Steve Smith’s Replacement In ODIs
Australia’s T20I captain, Mitchell Marsh, will assume leadership duties in both formats following the absence of skipper Pat Cummins due to a wrist injury. Marnus Labuschagne and Ashton Turner have been named as replacements for Smith in the ODI and T20I squads, respectively.
Marnus Labuschagne was not part of Australia’s initial 18-member World Cup squad, which is scheduled to be played in India between October and November this year. The right-handed batter was dropped from the ODI squad following his poor performances in the 50-over format.
Australia’s Updated Squads For South Africa Tour
T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Adam Zampa
ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
