Travis Head granted leave for the entire Bangladesh tour, while Mitchell Marsh continues his recovery from an ankle injury and will target a return for the T20I series.
Australia will be without two of their biggest names for the ODI leg of the Bangladesh tour, with Travis Head taking personal leave and captain Mitchell Marsh sidelined by an ankle injury. The selectors have also called up offspinner Todd Murphy for his first ODI squad, replacing injured legspinner Tanveer Sangha.
Head, who missed the Pakistan series due to IPL commitments, was initially named in both the ODI and T20I squads for Bangladesh. However, Cricket Australia has opted to grant the star opener leave from the entire tour as part of workload management ahead of a demanding international schedule across all three formats.
Marsh, meanwhile, has not fully recovered from the ankle issue that forced him out of the Pakistan series. While he will miss the three ODIs, Australia remain hopeful that he will regain fitness in time for the T20I series beginning on June 17. He is expected to join the squad in Dhaka and continue his rehabilitation with the team.
With Marsh and regular ODI captain Pat Cummins unavailable, Josh Inglis will continue to lead Australia after captaining the side during the Pakistan series. Inglis could also take charge of the T20I side if Marsh is unable to return in time.
Australia have retained Matt Short and Ollie Peake, both of whom impressed during the Pakistan ODIs. Peake made headlines by becoming the youngest specialist batter to debut for Australia in ODI cricket, while Short provided valuable contributions at the top of the order.
Murphy’s inclusion marks another significant step in his international career. The Victorian offspinner has already represented Australia in seven Tests and recently returned to Cricket Australia’s contracted players list. His call-up provides additional spin depth for conditions expected to favour slow bowlers in Bangladesh.
The ODI squad will also welcome back fast bowlers Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis after both missed the Pakistan series due to anticipated IPL playoff commitments. The duo replace Billy Stanlake and Riley Meredith, although Meredith remains with the touring party as part of the T20I squad.
Australia’s revised squad reflects a balance between managing player workloads and providing opportunities to emerging talent as preparations continue for a busy international season ahead.
