Published on: Nov 2, 2026 1:30 pm IST|Updated on: Nov 2, 2026 1:30 pm IST
Cricket Australia has officially announced its white-ball squad for the upcoming home ODI and T20I series against arch-rivals England. The national selection panel, led by former Aussie captain George Bailey, has announced a youthful squad and a mix of emerging domestic talent alongside established international performers to manage player workloads across formats.
Key names who have been missing from both squads are the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and freelance ODI skipper Pat Cummins. Starc, who has already retired from T20Is, wasn’t considered for the T20I squad, but Cummins and Hazlewood have been rested from the shortest format of the game as well.
Australia’s freelance ODI skipper and full-time Test skipper Pat Cummins enjoys his life resting. He plays cricket on his terms as if he owns Cricket Australia (CA) and doesn’t force himself into the white ball formats. Every time white-ball squads are announced, Cummins’ name is sporadically on the list, as the 33-year-old right-arm pacer prefers resting.
He last played a rain-hit ODI against South Africa on September 30 in Potchefstroom, and that appearance also came after he last featured in an ODI two years back in 2024. Talking about the T20Is, his last appearance in the shortest format of the game also came in June 2024 during the ICC T20 World Cup, where he was taken to the cleaners courtesy of a masterclass knock from Rohit Sharma.
In Cummins’ absence, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will continue in his role as captain for both the ODI and T20I legs, guiding the newly assembled squads through the multi-format series against their arch-rivals.
Besides the pace trio, two other big names, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, are also missing from the T20I side. The duo have already hung up their boots in ODI cricket last year and are only available for selection in the shortest format of the game, led by Mitchell Marsh. But having not played much cricket for Australia in the past, the duo have been left out of the squad.
The T20I squad reflects an aggressive, modern approach, headlined by dynamic opener Jake Fraser-McGurk. Known for his fearless ball-striking, Fraser-McGurk returns to lead the line alongside Victoria wicketkeeper-batter Sam Harper, who makes his way into the national setup following sustained runs in domestic and franchise T20 competitions, especially after finishing as the highest run-getter in the Lanka Premier League earlier this year.
The squad also includes promising performers like Jason Sangha and Mitchell Owen. Nathan Ellis is only selected for the T20Is, as he is still recovering from an injury.
Reflecting on the selections, chief selector George Bailey said,
“These ODI and T20 matches provide several players, many of whom have had opportunities on recent tours, with a great chance to further demonstrate their ability against very strong opposition. “Liam Scott returns to the ODI squad and we are excited by the fact he learns from each opportunity and have seen him grow his game on the back of strong performances over the past 12-18 months. “Mahli Beardman’s recent performances for Australia A were impressive and we are incredibly excited for his return to the national team across the ODI and T20 formats. We think he can continue to develop into an all-format player across the coming years. “Lachie Shaw is a highly talented cricketer we also think will develop quickly and has a powerful game that will impact in the T20 format. “Sam Harper has performed strongly in domestic cricket. He is in a great place with his game right now and is executing his style of cricket consistently, across all formats. “Jake (Fraser-McGurk) and Mitch (Owen) return to the T20 side and we believe their ball-striking can be a point of difference in the shorter formats. “They are good examples of players who have had an opportunity at the International level and have continued working on their game from what they learnt from those experiences.”
“These ODI and T20 matches provide several players, many of whom have had opportunities on recent tours, with a great chance to further demonstrate their ability against very strong opposition.
“Liam Scott returns to the ODI squad and we are excited by the fact he learns from each opportunity and have seen him grow his game on the back of strong performances over the past 12-18 months. “Mahli Beardman’s recent performances for Australia A were impressive and we are incredibly excited for his return to the national team across the ODI and T20 formats. We think he can continue to develop into an all-format player across the coming years.
“Lachie Shaw is a highly talented cricketer we also think will develop quickly and has a powerful game that will impact in the T20 format.
“Sam Harper has performed strongly in domestic cricket. He is in a great place with his game right now and is executing his style of cricket consistently, across all formats.
“Jake (Fraser-McGurk) and Mitch (Owen) return to the T20 side and we believe their ball-striking can be a point of difference in the shorter formats.
“They are good examples of players who have had an opportunity at the International level and have continued working on their game from what they learnt from those experiences.”