Adelaide: Australia wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis will lead the team in the third ODI and the subsequent T20I series against Pakistan as regular skipper Pat Cummins along with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith, will miss the final 50-over game as they prioritise their preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
Inglis will take over the captaincy in both the 50-over and 20-over formats for the first time with Cummins ramping up his Test preparation and incumbent T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh on paternity leave.
“Josh is an integral member of the ODI and T20I teams and a highly respected player on and off the field. He has led Australia A previously and will bring strong tactical nous and a positive approach to the role,” said selection chair George Bailey in a statement.
“Josh will receive great support from the likes of Matt Short and Adam Zampa, along with senior players including Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis,” he added.Pace bowlers Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett have been added to the ODI squad as well as keeper-batter Josh Phillipe while another quick, Lance Morris, who became part of the squad for the series opener in Melbourne while Hazlewood was on Sheffield Shield duties, remains with the squad.
Australia claimed the opening match of the three-game ODI series against Pakistan by two wickets at the MCG, with the series now switching to Adelaide (November 8) and Perth (November 10) for the final two contests.
Following the ODI series, Australia’s focus will shift to T20 cricket, where none of the Test regulars will feature, as they prepare for the demanding Test series against India starting November 22 in Perth.
The three-game T20I series will then be held between November 14-18 in Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart.
Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c – first two matches), Josh Inglis, (c – third match), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett (third match only), Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood (second match only), Spencer Johnson (third match only), Marnus Labuschagne (first two matches only), Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Josh Philippe (third match only), Matthew Short, Steve Smith (first two matches only), Mitchell Starc (first two matches only), Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Australia T20I squad: Josh Inglis (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
–IANS