Veteran Australian star David Warner is all set to bid adieu to Test cricket having retained his spot in the red-ball format for the Pakistan series. Australia who will host Pakistan for a three-match Test series announced their 14-man squad for the series on Sunday (Dec 3) with Lance Morris also included. The pacer remains the only player yet to be capped for the national side from the 14-man squad and will hope to make his debut in the Pakistan series.
Warner to bow out on a high
Having announced his desire to bow out of the red-ball format, Sunday’s team selection suggests Warner will all but bid farewell to Test cricket. The southpaw had announced his desire to play his final Test in Sydney, his home ground in New South Wales. While Sunday’s announcement is only limited to the first Test, Warner’s inclusion indicates he will continue to be part of the team for the rest of the series. If this is the case, Warner will play in the SCG Test in January which could see him bow out of the Test format.
The squad announcement for the Perth Test also saw Morris get another call-up having previously been part of the national squad. However, Morris’s role was limited to warming the bench with star players like Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland taking the front role along with skipper Pat Cummins. It is expected that he will make his debut in the series at some point as there remains a race to freshen up the squad.
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"As ever, there will be opportunities in the short to medium term to break into this squad and we look forward to seeing the continued strong performances from players who have been performing domestically, many of whom will get a tremendous opportunity in the PM’s XI fixture against Pakistan later this week," men's selection panel chair George Bailey said.
Australia vs Pakistan Test Series
First Test: December 14-18, Perth Stadium
Second Test: December 26-30, MCG
Third Test: January 3-7, SCG
Australia squad: (First Test only) Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner