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Australia’s cricket enthusiasts are in for a treat this month as the Australia A side prepares to square off against their trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand A for a thrilling series of matches. The action-packed leg will feature two four-day games and three one-day internationals across Brisbane and Mackay.
On Wednesday (August 9), Australia A announced their squad for both formats and appointed Marnus Labuschagne as the captain of the 50-over format for the Kiwi challenge. It is worth mentioning that Labuschagne was not included in the country’s preliminary 18-member squad for the ODI World Cup in India later this year. However, the series against New Zealand A will provide him with a valuable opportunity to showcase his skills and leadership abilities.
Apart from Labuschagne, nine other players within the 50-over team also boast the experience of international cricket. The newly appointed skipper will be supported by a formidable cast of players like Matthew Kuhnemann, Ben McDermott, Todd Murphy, and Matt Renshaw, all of whom have donned the Australian colours recently. Additionally, prominent names like Josh Philippe, Ashton Turner, Wes Agar, Gurinder Sandhu, and Ben Dwarshuis are the other names with international exposure in the one-dayers squad.
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Cameron Bancroft gets the opportunity to stake his claim in the regular Test squad:
On the other hand, The four-day format squad centres around Cameron Bancroft. The opening batter will be looking to seize the opportunity to stake his claim for the soon-to-be vacant Australia Test opening spot, which is set to open up following David Warner‘s retirement. With fellow contenders Matt Renshaw and Marcus Harris opting for a well-deserved rest from the series, Bancroft’s performance in the four-day games against New Zealand A could significantly influence his prospects for joining Australia’s regular Test side.
Bancroft will be supported by an impressive array of talent, including players like Wes Agar, Mark Steketee and others in the Australia A squad for the four-day games.
As far as the fixtures are concerned, the series will commence with a four-day game on August 28, followed by the second match on September 4. Meanwhile, the three one-dayers will take place on the 10th, 13th, and 15th September, respectively.
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Australia A squad:
Australia A four-day squad: Wes Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jordan Buckingham, Ben Dwarshuis, Caleb Jewell, Campbell Kellaway, Matthew Kelly, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Joel Paris, Jimmy Peirson, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Tim Ward
Australia A one-day squad: Wes Agar, Ollie Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Liam Hatcher, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben McDermott, Todd Murphy, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Matt Short, Mark Steketee, Will Sutherland, Ashton Turner
