Melbourne, Jan 11 (IANS) Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday recalled veteran batsman Cameron White for the five-match One-day International (ODI) series against England, starting here on Sunday.
White hasn’t played ODI cricket for almost three years but has earned a late call-up, replacing injured Queenslander Chris Lynn, who pulled out with a calf strain.
The selectors, led by Trevor Hohns, also decided to rest paceman Josh Hazlewood from the opening ODI while fellow pacer Pat Cummins will skip the second game as Australia look to manage the workload of their fast bowlers ahead of the Test tour of South Africa.
Hazlewood’s absence from Sunday’s match means one or both of Andrew Tye and Jhye Richardson will make their ODI debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Hazlewood will re-join the squad for the second game in Brisbane, which Cummins will miss.
Having played all five Tests in the 4-0 Ashes triumph over England, Hazlewood and Cummins are the first to be given a break, with left-armer Mitchell Starc set to sit out later in the series.
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old White said he was surprised to be back in the squad after several years despite strong performances domestically.
“I was very surprised this morning when Trevor Hohns rang me. Obviously I’m really looking forward to the opportunity and getting in amongst it,” White was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“In the back of my mind I probably never gave up all hope. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do… get back and have another go at it.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity and it’s up to me to make the most of it.”
Commenting on his selection, Hohns said: “He’s in very good form as his figures demonstrate, he’s playing very well.”
“He’s one of the leading run-scorers in the Big Bash League (BBL), he’s experienced, he’s a very smart cricketer and he’s a good fielder.
“He ticks all the boxes for what we need at this stage,” he added.
After the opener at the MCG, the Kangaroos will play the second ODI in Brisbane on January 19, followed by the third game in Sydney on January 21. The final two games will be played at Adelaide (January 26) and Perth (January 28).
The ODI rubber between Australia and England will be followed by a T20I tri-series also involving New Zealand.
Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (Captain), David Warner (VC), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Cameron White, Adam Zampa.