Australia’s Test batsmen Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne have been named in Queensland’s 13-man squad for the first round of the Sheffield Shield this summer, but Steven Smith will be rested for New South Wales as his Test batting status remains to be confirmed. .
Despite no international commitments until November, just over half of Australia’s Test XI are expected to be out of their home states when the opening round of the Shield season begins on Tuesday and the injury toll for Australia’s limited overs tour has arrived. continued with Matthew Short (adductor) and Sean Abbott (hamstring) also likely to miss the opening round.
Smith, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are not expected to be named in the New South Wales squad for their first game against South Australia but Nathan Lyon will play and Travis Head and Alex Carey appear likely to be called up for South. Australia, though it may be Head’s last time in Shield cricket before the Test summer due to the birth of her second child.
Smith, Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood are set for the second round of the Shield against Victoria at the MCG, which will be Scott Boland’s first game of the season for Victoria as he was rested in the opening round while building up his bowling load. following off-season foot and knee problems. However, there is a chance that Australia’s top three quicks may not play at all in New South Wales and will instead use the ODI series against Pakistan to build up to the India Test series.
Cameron Green will not play for Western Australia against Queensland due to a back injury and it remains to be seen how long he will be out of action. Mitchell Marsh and Aaron Hardie will play but only as batsmen, both players bowling the red ball carefully if you look at Green’s injury. It leaves Western Australia with the challenge of balancing their XI with Cricket Australia fast bowlers Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson unavailable and experienced seamer Joel Paris also set to miss out with a calf problem. Morris is a possibility in the second round for WA but Richardson is not expected to feature in Shield cricket until after the BBL as he is being carefully managed due to his injury history.
The state’s teams are currently facing a major challenge as they plan the opening four rounds due to major injuries to Australia’s contracted players and young players and the scheduling of two Australia A-India A matches in late October and early November in addition to the fixture. ODI and T20I series against Pakistan.
Careful handling of Australia’s Test stars and fringe players such as Boland, Morris and Hardie now, combined with a number of injuries including Green, Short, Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis (pectoral), Xavier Bartlett (groin), Nathan Ellis (hamstring) , Spencer Johnson (hamstring) and Riley Meredith (groin), means many provincial teams will have a lot to offer in their XIs throughout the first month of the season.
Glenn Maxwell looks set to miss Victoria’s opening Shield round but could play in the second against NSW as the Test tour of Sri Lanka looms. Victoria captain Will Sutherland will miss the opening round with a back problem despite playing and bowling in the opening two One-Day Cup matches last week. Peter Handscomb will take over as Victoria’s captain.
Queensland vs WA team: Marnus Labuschagne (c), Jack Clayton, Liam Guthrie, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Jack Wildermuth
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