BGT preparations force Cricket Australia to rest Cummins, Starc & Smith against Pakistan

Cricket Australia (CA) have decided to rest their captain Pat Cummins along with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith for the remainder of the Pakistan white-ball tour of Australia. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 starting on November 22, CA has shifted its focus to Test cricket. These five players would be rested following the second ODI on November 8, as Josh Inglis would take over as captain of Australia in both ODIs and T20Is. 

Josh Inglis named captain

With Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head both on paternity leave, CA thought Inglis would be the right man to lead. Apart from the wicketkeeper batter, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa are the only ones who are experienced campaigners, but the management clearly sees something in Inglis, and therefore he’s been made Australia’s interim white-ball captain. 

BGT prep

With three Sheffield Shield matches scheduled from November 14-18, most of Australia’s Test players would get some crucial practice. Although the squad for BGT 2024-25 hasn’t been announced by CA, we can expect them to retain most of the squad that played against New Zealand earlier in the year, barring injured Cameron Green, of course. 

Previously it was suggested that Cummins and Hazlewood wouldn’t play in Sheffield Shield while Smith and Starc have already played one game for their side, New South Wales. It’s to be seen whether the two pacers decided to play a match or toil hard in the nets like India have decided to do.

Australia’s squad against Pakistan

ODIs: Pat Cummins (c – first two matches), Josh Inglis, (c – third match), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett (third match only), Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood (second match only), Spencer Johnson (third match only), Marnus Labuschagne (first two matches only), Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Josh Philippe (third match only), Matthew Short, Steve Smith (first two matches only), Mitchell Starc (first two matches only), Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

T20Is: Josh Inglis (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa