It’s not a rinse and repeat set of players for Australia, Steve Smith is set to captain after successfully helming the Test series and Jake-Fraser McGurk, Cooper Connolly, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Spencer Johnson and Tanveer Sangha are all names that have been added to the squad recently to cover for injury – in the cases of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh or as a result of a shock retirement – Marcus Stoinis having announced he has played his last ODI for his country.
Australia: Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cooper Connolly, Steve Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk), Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Charith Asalanka (c), Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando.
Probably the first time in over a decade that Australia won’t have Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood leading the attack in an ICC event #ChampionsTrophy https://t.co/2emf9RYHR7.
As this preamble is typed it is also noted that Mitchell Starc has opted out of these two games and the Champions trophy.
