Australia name ODI squads for NZ, Zimbabwe series; Zampa returns
Hosts Australia have named a 14-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand and Zimbabwe. The series will comprise three ODIs each. Ace leg-spinner Adam Zampa will mark his return to international cricket, having last played a game against Pakistan in April. Pat Cummins has been rested, while Travis Head misses out as he is expecting his first child. Here's more.
Richardson, Kuhnemann dropped post SL series
Pacer Jhye Richardson, who managed three wickets in the ODIs versus Sri Lanka, has been sidelined for the upcoming series. Interestingly, spinner Matthew Kuhnemann hasn't been considered for his services. The slow left-arm orthodox snapped figures of 0/61, 2/56, and 2/26 in the concluded series. Josh Inglis and Mitchell Swepson haven't made the cut either.
Agar, Abbott recalled for NZ, Zimbabwe
Spinner Ashton Agar had skipped the last two ODIs versus SL, and later, the two-match Test series, after failing to recover from a side strain. Meanwhile, pacer Sean Abbott was ruled out of the entire Lankan tour after suffering a finger injury in the nets before the T20Is. Nonetheless, the duo has managed to retain their spots in the team.
Australia's ODI squad for NZ, Zimbabwe
Australia's ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
Australia have a 3-5 win record in 2022
Australia have starred in two ODI series since the start of 2022. They suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Pakistan in March-April. The Aussies were then handed a 3-2 drubbing by Sri Lanka in the five-match series in June.
New Zealand stamp a 3-0 win over Ireland
The Kiwis faced sturdy opposition in Ireland in the three-match ODI series. They beat the Irishmen by one wicket to snatch a 1-0 lead. NZ then claimed a three-wicket win after chasing 217. Although a dead rubber, the visitors pulled off a win by a run to seal a whitewash win in Dublin. Michael Bracewell shone as the Player of the Series.
Can Zimbabwe end their nightmarish streak?
Zimbabwe last won a bilateral ODI series in 2019. They have had an abysmal run in ODIs since then. They have been on the winning front on three occasions while suffering defeat on 19 instances (one no-result). Against Australia, Zimbabwe have managed only two wins in 30 face-offs to date (27 losses, one no-result). Of late, they lost by a 3-0 margin to Afghanistan.
Schedule for Australia's ODI series against NZ, Zimbabwe
The Riverway Stadium in Townsville will host the Australia-NZ ODIs on August 28, 31, and September 3. The Zimbabwe series will kickstart on September 6 at Cazaly Stadium in Cairns. The second and third ODIs will be played on September 8 and 11, respectively.
