Photo Credit: Adelaide Strikers
Alex Carey has been included in a preliminary 23-player squad for the Qantas Australian men’s tour of the West Indies.
The tour is slated to start in July, consisting of five T20 internationals and three one-day internationals as preparations begin to ramp-up for the men’s T20 World Cup scheduled towards the end of the year.
Carey returns to the squad after missing the recent white ball tour of New Zealand as he was picked in Australia’s Test squad for the now-cancelled tour of South Africa.
The Strikers vice-captain scored 425 runs in KFC BBL|10, including his second Twenty20 century against Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval. He is also leading the BBL’s all-time dismissals tally, with 51 from just 48 matches.
National selector Trevor Hohns said: “This preliminary list gives selectors a solid base from which to choose a final touring party in the coming weeks while allowing players to prepare.
“The Australian men’s T20 squad has the ability to match it with any team in the world and the competition for places will be fierce, which is exactly what we are looking for.
“Having players of that calibre back in the squad is critical to the build-up to the T20 World Cup and refining the balance of the team over the coming months,” Hohns said.
Ben Oliver, CA’s EGM of National Teams, said CA was in discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board regarding a possible white ball tour at the conclusion of the Australian men’s tour of the Caribbean.
“The Australian men’s team has completed successful tours of England and New Zealand during the pandemic, including the accompanying quarantine periods, and we are hopeful of being able to travel to Bangladesh at the completion of the West Indies tour,” Oliver said.
“Those discussions are progressing well and updates will be provided in due course.”
The squad is due to depart for the West Indies in late June.
Qantas Australian men’s tour of the West Indies:
Aaron Finch (c) (Victoria), Ashton Agar (Western Australia), Jason Behrendorff (Western Australia), Alex Carey (South Australia), Pat Cummins (New South Wales), Josh Hazlewood (New South Wales), Moises Henriques (New South Wales), Mitchell Marsh (Western Australia), Glenn Maxwell (Victoria), Riley Meredith (Tasmania), Josh Philippe (Western Australia), Jhye Richardson (Western Australia), Kane Richardson (South Australia), Tanveer Sangha (New South Wales), D’Arcy Short (Western Australia), Steven Smith (New South Wales), Mitchell Starc (New South Wales), Marcus Stoinis (Western Australia), Mitchell Swepson (Queensland), Andrew Tye (Western Australia), Matthew Wade (Tasmania), David Warner (New South Wales), Adam Zampa (New South Wales).
Qantas Australian Tour of the West Indies:
9 July 7.30pm ECT: First T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
10 July 7.30pm ECT: Second T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
12 July 7.30pm ECT: Third T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
14 July 7.30pm ECT: Fourth T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
16 July 7.30pm ECT: Fifth T20I, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia
20 July 2.30pm ECT: First 1st CG Insurance ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
22 July 2.30pm ECT: Second 1st CG Insurance ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
24 July 2.30pm ECT: Third 1st CG Insurance ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
