Cooper Connolly earns Australia call-up, Jake Fraser-McGurk included for Scotland and England tour

Perth Scorchers and Western Australia allrounder Cooper Connolly has been handed his first international call-up for Australia’s T20I squad to face Scotland and England while Jake Fraser-McGurk has been included in both the T20I and ODI squad as the selectors start to glance towards the future.

Australia will play three T20Is against Scotland and England from early September and the squad reflects the start of the transition from the group that exited the recent T20 World Cup in the Super Eights. The ODI squad is more stable with an eye on next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

Connolly has only featured in 15 domestic T20s but played a starring role in the 2022-23 final to secure Perth Scorchers the title and strikes at 145.80 and provides a useful left-arm spin option. He also made 90 on his Sheffield Shield debut, in the final, earlier this year.

Mitchell Marsh remains captain and will also lead the ODI side in the absence of Pat Cummins who is rested from the entire tour ahead of the home summer. Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will also miss the T20Is before joining for the ODIs while allrounder Matthew Short, who was a traveling reserve at the T20 World Cup, will remain at home for the birth of his first child before arriving for the five one-dayers against England. Cummins is currently among the group of Australians taking part in MLC.

From those who featured in West Indies last month, Ashton Agar and Matthew Wade have been dropped from the T20I squad while David Warner has retired although did say recently he was “open” to playing in the Champions Trophy.

Fraser-McGurk’s inclusion had been expected and he now has the chance to establish himself as Warner’s successor at the top of the order in both limited-overs formats. He has yet to make his T20I debut but played two ODIs against West Indies last season.

In the T20 squad, Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson and Nathan Ellis will be part of the pace attack alongside the experience of Josh Hazlewood. Allrounders Cameron Green and Aaron Hardie are included across both formats with the former likely to see far more opportunity. Josh Inglis will replace Wade with the gloves in T20Is.

“This tour gives us a great opportunity to bring in some new players in the absence of David Warner and Matthew Wade, as well as giving some senior players time to prepare for the home summer and a busy first half of next year,” national selector George Bailey said.

“We are particularly pleased to offer Cooper his first opportunity in the T20 squad having introduced the likes of Jake, Spencer, Xavier and Aaron in the past 12 months. They are exciting prospects to join the likes of Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis in the white-ball set up.

“With the Champions Trophy on our doorstep early next year, the white-ball series against Pakistan leading into the summer and a huge home Test series against India, there has been a lot of planning invested into these next six months.

“That has included gradual integration of new players into our white-ball squads who have earned international opportunities via excellent form in Big Bash or state cricket.”

Alex Carey is back in the ODI squad as Inglis’ understudy having lost his place in the XI during last year’s World Cup.

The T20Is against Scotland, which replace the tour of Ireland which was cancelled by the hosts for financial reasons, take place on September 4, 6 and 7. Three T20Is against England follow on September 11, 13 and 15 followed by the five ODIs.

Australia T20I squad vs Scotland and England

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Spencer Johnson, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Australia ODI squad vs England

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis (wk), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

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