Australia are headed toward a busy summer, which has started with a white-ball series against Pakistan. Following the three ODIs and as many T20I matches, Australia will host India for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy which will start on November 22 at Optus Stadium, Perth, four days after the last T20I game against Pakistan. As a result, many key players were left out of the T20I squad to buy them time for extra training before the Test tour. It was also decided earlier that a new captain would be named for the T20Is since all of Australia’s usual captains, vice captains, and stand-ins would be pre-occupied in one way or another.
Australia’s regular T20I captain Mitchell Marsh and his stand-in Travis Head, who led the side in his absence during the English tour, are on paternity leaves for the entire white-ball tour versus Pakistan. Pat Cummins, the Aussie Test and ODI captain, and his second in command, Steve Smith are already out of the equation since they will be training for the BGT. To tackle this, Australia have announced the wicket-keeper batter, Josh Inglis as the leader for the three T20Is as well as the last ODI game.
Inglis was named as the skipper overlooking the likes of more senior players including Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis. Interestingly, the stumper has not ever captained at the Big Bash League level as well. However, the Australian chair of selectors, George Bailey, thinks the 29-year-old batter has an incredible technical perspective of the game which, along with the presence of senior players, will help him be a successful leader on the field.
“Josh is an integral member of the ODI and T20I teams and a highly respected player on and off the field. He has led Australia A [Prime Minister’s XI] previously and will bring strong tactical nous and a positive approach to the role. Josh will receive great support from the likes of Matt Short and Adam Zampa, along with senior players including Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.”
Josh was Perth Scorchers’ vice-captain in the last edition. For some time, he was considered the forerunner in the captaincy race when their regular captain Ashton Turner was ruled out of the season with an injury. However, in his stead, Aaron Hardie was appointed, despite not ever deputizing for Turner. As per the Perth-based team, Hardie was preferred over Inglis for the sole reason that a wicketkeeper batter as a captain comes with several limitations, one of which is time restriction in BBL games.
“But I guess there are limitations in what your keeper can do, particularly when the heat comes on. And if you’re a bit time-poor within your innings, which generally we are, then it’s really difficult to have those conversations and that connection with the bowling group and I think we saw that the other night a little bit when Ash did go off the field and so that was part of the decision-making process. But, if it had gone the other way we’d gone with Josh we would have been confident in him as well.” said Scorchers’ coach Adam Voges.
His first assignment as the captain will see him lead a young pack against Pakistan’s battle-hardened warriors in the 3rd ODI at Optus Stadium on November 10.
Australia’s T20I squad against Pakistan:
Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis (captain), Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
