Australia rest Test stars for Pakistan T20 series

SYDNEY: Australia on Monday left out their Test stars for the home Twenty20 series against Pakistan, with a new captain set to be named.

The three-match T20 series next month will conclude only four days before Australia embark on the first of a five home Tests against India.

Selectors rested fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, along with other Test players Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head.

All-rounder Cameron Green is injured and will miss the entire Australian summer.

Marsh is the usual T20 captain, leaving Josh Inglis, Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell and Matt Short in the mix to take charge against Pakistan.

Fast bowlers Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson all return after injuries for the matches in Brisbane on November 14, Sydney two days later and Hobart on November 18.

The first Test against India begins in Perth on November 22.

“This group of players have all represented Australia in T20 cricket, so we look forward to them continuing to enhance their international experience throughout this series,” said chief selector George Bailey.

“We are excited by the mix of experience combined with those closer to the start of their international journeys.”

The T20s follow a three-match one-day international series against Pakistan beginning on November 4.

Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc were included in the one-day squad announced two weeks ago, but Marsh and Head will be on paternity leave.

Pakistan T20: Arafat, Babar, Haris, Haseebullah, Jahandad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Rizwan (WK), Irfan, Naseem Shah, Omair, Sahibzada, Salman, Shaheen, Sufyan, Usman.

Australia T20 squad: Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa