Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson return as Australia unveil T20I squad for the home series against Pakistan

Cricket Australia (CA) have revealed the men’s T20I squad for the upcoming home series against Pakistan, scheduled to begin soon. In a strategic move to prioritize the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, none of the Test regulars have been included in the squad, marking a shift in Australia’s focus towards the longer format.

New skipper to lead Australia in shortest format

The absence of Test players, including current T20I captain Mitchell Marsh, means that Australia will see a new skipper for this series. While CA has not officially announced the captain yet, reports suggest that Josh Inglis, Adam Zampa, and Matthew Short are potential candidates to lead the side. Interestingly, none of these players have previously captained Australia in any format.

Return of fast-bowlers after injury layoffs

The squad sees the return of fast-bowlers Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, and Nathan Ellis, all of whom were sidelined due to injuries during or ahead of Australia’s recent limited-overs tour in the United Kingdom (UK). Johnson made a successful comeback for South Australia in the One-Day Cup over the weekend, while Bartlett and Ellis are yet to return to domestic action following their respective injuries.

Also READ: Pakistan names new captain and vice-captain for white-ball cricket

Coaching role handed to Andre Borovec

Andre Borovec will take up the coaching role for the T20I series against Pakistan, a position he previously held during last year’s five-match T20I series against India. Head coach Andrew McDonald, along with regular assistants Michael di Venuto and Daniel Vettori, will oversee the preceding ODI series against Pakistan before shifting their focus to the Test matches.

Australia squad for T20I series against Pakistan

Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Also READ: Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi return as Pakistan unveils their squads for the white-ball series against Australia

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