World Cup 2023: Australia announce preliminary squad
Australia will play eight ODI games ahead of World Cup 2023 which will be against South Africa and India.
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Five-time world champions over 50 overs Prior to the ODI World Cup in India in October-November, Australia will play a number of high-stakes fixtures. Pat Cummins' men were able to retain the urn after drawing the Ashes series 2-2, and Australia will look forward to some fine-tuning ahead of the upcoming World Cup as they pursue a record-breaking sixth title.
Australia has eight more ODIs to play before the mega-event. In September, they will travel to South Africa to face Temba Bavuma's squad in a five-match ODI series. The first ODI will be contested on September 7 in Bloemfontein. After the fifth and final one-day international, Australia will travel to India for a three-match ODI series.
Similarly, Australia announced their ODI selection for South Africa and India, which is also their preliminary World Cup squad. Tanveer Sangha, an uncapped spinner, and Aaron Hardie, a promising all-rounder, are two unexpected additions to the squad. However, the experienced Marnus Labuschagne was unable to secure a spot in the 18-member squad, which includes a number of experienced players such as captain Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, and Mitchell Starc.
Pat Cummins and the rest of the team will be on the lookout for some of the reserve players for the major tournament in India later this year. The final World Cup roster must be disclosed by September 28 at the latest. Australia and India play their third ODI on September 27. Before the ultimate date of selection, the selectors will be able to evaluate the performances of all players in the South Africa and India series.
Australia's World Cup campaign commences on October 8 against hosts India in the fifth match of the 10-team tournament at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Australia World Cup 2023 Preliminary Squad
Australia squad:Pat Cummins (C), David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Travis Head.
