Saturday Jan 25, 2025
Saturday Jan 25, 2025
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Cooper Connolly has earned a maiden Test squad call up with Australia naming a 16-man group to tour Sri Lanka that’s missing several big names, including Glenn Maxwell.
The 21-year-old all-rounder — who has only played three Sheffield Shield matches — earned his selection off the back of impressive form with the bat in the Big Bash, while he also offers left-arm orthodox spin. His selection has come at the expense of veteran all-rounder Maxwell, who is still without a Test appearance since 2017’s tour of Bangladesh.
Maxwell has made no secret of his desire to return to the Test arena, but hasn’t played a first class match since July 2023.
Mitchell Marsh has not made the tour, kept out by Beau Webster who impressed on debut in Sydney.
Cricket Australia said in a statement that Marsh was “omitted, with both focussing on the Champion’s Trophy which immediately follows the Sri Lanka tour.”
Spinners Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy, meanwhile, were picked while Nathan McSweeney has been recalled.
Both Murphy and Kuhnemann played with Lyon in three Tests during the tour of India in 2023.
Murphy sensationally took 7-124 in his debut innings while he was also part of that year’s Ashes series, taking his Test numbers to 21 wickets at 25.42.
Kuhnemann only has under his belt that series in India, where he struggled to break through either side of a stunning 5-16 in Indore. Kuhnemann was called-up to be around Australia’s Test squad in Sydney along with Murphy and Peter Handscomb, who missed out on making the final cut for Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the return of McSweeney alongside Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja adds extra intrigue around Australia’s opener dilemma heading into the series.
McSweeney was dropped after three Tests against India this summer with Konstas taking his place. Konstas’ first two Tests were exciting, but failed to make him a long-term lock. Khawaja, meanwhile, has been out of form, but has become one of Australia’s strongest players of spin.
Making the situation more complex is the potential for Travis Head to move up the order, as he did in India in 2023, and leave a vacancy in the middle-order instead.
Missing the tour is Pat Cummins (paternity leave), while Josh Hazlewood is still recovering from a calf injury.
Steve Smith will return to Test captaincy in Cummins’ absence.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, national selector George Bailey said that Connolly was an option for the Australians in the middle order.
“We’ve talked in the past about his left-arm spin and our desire to continue investing in that and seeing where that goes,” Bailey said. “But certainly, I think his actual batting skill set is suited to the middle order. He’s someone that we’ve had our eye on for a period of time. There’s lots of work to go and this will be a really big challenge for him.” – (Fox Cricket)
AUSTRALIAN TEST SQUAD TO SRI LANKA
Steve Smith captain (NSW), Sean Abbott (NSW), Scott Boland (VIC), Alex Carey (SA), Cooper Connolly (WA), Travis Head vice-captain (SA), Josh Inglis (WA), Usman Khawaja (QLD), Sam Konstas (NSW), Matt Kuhnemann (TAS), Marnus Labuschagne (QLD), Nathan Lyon (NSW), Nathan McSweeney (SA), Todd Murphy (VIC), Mitchell Starc (NSW), Beau Webster (TAS)
