David Warner will sit out of Friday’s one-day international against England in Hobart, with Shaun Marsh and Cameron White both called into the squad. The two batsmen will replace the resting Warner and George Bailey, who has been suspended for Australia’s poor over rate during Sunday’s game against India.
Cricket Australia has also confirmed that Steven Smith will captain the team against England, as expected after his impressive leadership in the recent Tests against India. Josh Hazlewood will also rest due to minor soreness in his left heel, while Mitchell Johnson will not make the trip for personal reasons, leaving Smith in charge of a squad of 12.
Warner has been at the centre of a sledging controversy from Australia’s win against India at the MCG on Sunday, and he was fined 50% of his match fee for his stoush with Rohit Sharma. However, Cricket Australia said in a press release for the Hobart game against England Warner was “resting following the hamstring soreness he reported at the start of the series”.
The absence of Warner and Bailey provides a chance for both Marsh and White to stake their claims to the first-choice backup batsman for the World Cup if a place opens up due to injury. Marsh last played ODIs during last summer’s home series against England and has not played a List A match of any sort since the Australia Day ODI in Adelaide nearly a year ago.
White last played an ODI nearly four years ago, during the tour of Bangladesh that followed the 2011 World Cup, but he was the fourth-leading run scorer in the Matador Cup this summer with 354 runs at 59.00 and has averaged 52 in List A games in the past two years. In 2011, White also became Australia’s 19th ODI captain; Smith will become the 22nd.
“Steven’s appointment was a straightforward decision given the excellent impression he made in charge of the side during the Test series when he stepped in for the injured Michael Clarke,” chairman of selectors Rod Marsh said. “It is unfortunate for George Bailey that he will miss the match in his home state but in Steven we have a dynamic player who leads from the front, by example, and we look forward to him doing so again on Friday.”
Australia squad Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Shane Watson, Steven Smith (capt), Cameron White, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin (wk), James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Gurinder Sandhu, Xavier Doherty.
