Australia is gearing up for five T20Is and three ODIs against West Indies in their backyard starting July 10, followed by another five-match T20I series against Bangladesh in August.
Cricket Australia (CA) had recently picked a 23-man preliminary squad which was extended to 29 members on Tuesday.
The move has come in the wake of speculations by media outlets that top key players might drop out of the touring party due to bubble fatigue.
While all-rounder Daniel Sams has already pulled out on mental health grounds, speedster Pat Cummins and veteran opener David Warner may also miss the series, according to reports by First Post.
Hence, Ben McDermott, Dan Christian, Cameron Green, Ashton Turner, Wes Agar and Nathan Ellis have been included in the list. The group will be trimmed before it departs to the Caribbean country on June 28.
In an official statement, national selection panel chairman Trevor Hohns revealed that the addition had been made after discussing it with cricketers selected in the initial roster.
“The six additions to the Qantas Australian men’s squad follow discussions with players selected in the initial preliminary list for the tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh,” Hohns divulged.
The former Australian cricketer pointed out that hard quarantine and bio-secure hubs have been detrimental to the health of some players.
“During the course of those discussions, it has become clear that recent experiences abroad, including but not limited to extended periods in bio-secure hubs and hard quarantine, have had an impact on the health and wellbeing of some players and their families,” he added.
The 67-year-old also enunciated that the wellbeing of the participants was the top priority of CA.
“CA has maintained that the wellbeing of players, staff and officials is a top priority, and never more so than during the Covid-19 pandemic given the extraordinary challenges it has placed upon international athletes and sporting teams,” Hohns concluded.
Australia squad for West Indies and Bangladesh tour:
Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Tanveer Sangha, D’Arcy Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
