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BRISBANE. — Test cricket captain Pat Cummins will miss Australia’s limited-overs series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand starting next month as part of his preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup.
Legspinner Adam Zampa will be returning from paternity leave for Australia’s back-to-back ODI series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in late August and early September, while Test captain Cummins will be rested from both ahead of a monster home summer.
Australia are scheduled to play Zimbabwe in three one-day internationals in Townsville on August 28, 30 and September 3 before a three-game series against New Zealand in Cairns on September 6, 8 and 11.
Fast bowler Sean Abbott and spinners Ashton Agar and Zampa have been recalled to the squad that will be led by Aaron Finch.
Australia’s extended tour of Sri Lanka ended last week with the teams splitting the T20 and ODI series before the two-match test series ended 1-1.
Cricket Australia yesterday announced the team for the so-called Top End series, saying pace bowler Cummins “is being managed through a period of rehabilitation and physical preparation for the upcoming summer.”
“These series against New Zealand, the world’s No 1-ranked ODI side, and Zimbabwe will be good contests, providing an opportunity to play some great cricket in the lead up to the home summer,” Australia selector George Bailey said.
Legspinner Zampa missed the entire Sri Lanka tour due to the birth of his first child, and returns to bolster Australia’s spin ranks. Agar will also be back after a side strain that kept him out of the last four ODIs in Sri Lanka.
Cummins played four of the five ODIs in Sri Lanka after resting from the T20I series. But Australia’s national selection panel made the decision to rest him from the upcoming series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in order for him to freshen up ahead of a home T20 World Cup and a huge Test summer that comprises five home Tests against West Indies and South Africa, before a four-Test trip to India early next year.
Cummins has added a niggling ankle injury to his ongoing hip problem.
The Australian Test captain and world’s leading Test bowler suffered the ankle problem during the side’s recent tour of Sri Lanka and is being managed before a relentless 18 months of cricket.
Cummins will be “managed through a period of rehabilitation and physical preparation for the upcoming summer” and miss the six matches in North Queensland, CA said in a statement.
Travis Head will also miss both ODI series as he is expecting the birth of his first child during that period.
Sean Abbott returns to the ODI squad in place of Cummins after missing the entire tour of Sri Lanka due a broken finger he suffered in the nets in Colombo on the eve of the opening T20I. Marcus Stoinis will also be back after a side strain that saw him fly home from Sri Lanka early. Australia have named a trimmed-down squad of 14 for the six ODIs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand, with Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Inglis and Jhye Richardson all dropping out of the group that played in Sri Lanka.
Squad
Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa. — AP/Cricinfo.
Online Reporter