David Warner to captain Australia in the T20I series against Sri Lanka

Cricket Australia today announced the 13-member Australian team for the 2-match T20I series against Sri Lanka to be played in early September. CA decided to rest regular skipper, Steve Smith and thus the selectors have decided to instill the captaincy responsibilities upon the explosive opener David Warner for the remainder of the ODI series and the T20Is.

A list of players who didn’t feature in the team for the World T20 earlier this year have been included in the squad. The most prominent of the inclusions is that of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell who was earlier dropped from the One-Day International squad that is currently playing the series in Sri Lanka.

Along with Maxwell, speedster Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn and Shaun Marsh are the other names who missed out on featuring in the World T20 2016 but have been named in the squad for the upcoming series.

Chris Lynn who was given the national call-up in the home series against India at the start of the year after he impressed one and all with his performances in the BBL 2016 is at the moment captaining the Australia A team in the home one-day quadrangular series against India A, South Africa A and the National Performance Squad in Brisbane.

Also read – Steve Smith pulls out of the Sri Lanka tour

On the selection of Maxwell and Lynn in the team, National Selector Rod Marsh said, “Both Chris and Glenn are dynamic players who are both capable of winning a game from their own bat and they also bring that x-factor in the field,”

Peter Nevill who made his T20I debut in March during the series against South Africa and played the World T20 as the wicketkeeper batsman has been entrusted with the wicket-keeping responsibilities despite Matthew Wade’s good show in limited overs cricket.

“Peter is the incumbent wicketkeeper in the T20 side and had a very good World T20 for Australia,” Marsh said. “The panel wanted to keep that consistency heading into these two matches.”

Australia T20 squad: David Warner (C), Scott Boland, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

1st T20I – Sri Lanka v Australia, Pallekele Stadium, 6 September.

2nd T20I – Sri Lanka v Australia, R. Premadasa Stadium, 9 September.

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