Starc, O'Keefe left out of Australia squad for Bangladesh tour

Cricket Australia (CA) announced the 13-man squad for the tour to Bangladesh. The team is set to tour Bangladesh for a two-match Test series. This will be the first time that the Australian team would be touring Bangladesh after 2006. The first Test of the series is scheduled to be played from August 27 at Dhaka. Earlier in 2015, team Australia was expected to tour to the Asian country but had backed out at the last moment due to security concerns.

This time, the tour is confirmed and is all set to get underway. Executive General Manager of Team Performance, Pat Howard, noted that Cricket Australia is happy with the given security solutions for the tour and hence they Aussies will step on Bangladeshi soil this August.

“The Bangladesh Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Government have provided satisfactory levels of assurance and security for this tour to proceed at this stage, and we’re very grateful to them for this. We will continue to work with them to finalise plans but also monitor advice from Government agencies and our own security advisors about the security risk. Our number one priority will always be the safety and security of our players and support staff when travelling to any country,” said Howard as per the quotes in Cricket.com.au.

Talking about the squad, the team looks very strong on paper. Much against all speculations, the selectors opted for a strong team rather than a second string side for the tour. The notable omissions from the squad that toured India earlier this year are pacer Mitchell Starc and left arm spinner Steve O’Keefe. National Selector Trevor Hohns cited that the performances of O’Keefe were not up to the mark in the final three Tests against India. Hence, Ashton Agar will be tested in Bangladesh.

“Whilst Steve O’Keefe bowled well in Pune, he did not maintain this level in the remaining matches of the series and we believe the timing is right for Ashton to enter the set-up and test his all-rounder ability. Ashton has continued to impress us with his form and we believe his bowling is at a level where he deserves to be playing on the highest stage,” Hohns quoted.

Usman Khawaja, despite not having played a single game on India tour, has been retained. Matt Renshaw continues to find the place in the team while Shaun Marsh has been excluded. In the pace department, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood make up the major three. Hilton Cartwright, the young Victorian all-rounder, is the only all-rounder on the tour.

Australia Squad for Bangladesh Tour

Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Wade.

Fixtures

August 18 – Arrival

August 22 to August 23 – Tour Match at Fatullah

August 27 to August 31 – First Test, Dhaka

September 4 to September 8 – Second Test, Chittagong