Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc and all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh were on Wednesday ruled out of Australia’s Twenty20 tour to India with low-level injuries.
Team bosses opted not to risk aggravating niggles in the three-game series beginning on September 21 with Australia’s defence of the T20 World Cup on home soil fast approaching.
“Selectors felt with three games in six days across three cities, including travel to India and internally, Marsh, Stoinis and Starc are best served remaining in Australia,” Cricket Australia said.
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The injuries are all minor with Starc (knee), Marsh (ankle) and Stoinis (side) replaced by Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams and Sean Abbott.
David Warner has already been rested from the tour with Cameron Green to take his spot.
Meanwhile, the absence of Stoinis will open the door to Tim David to make his debut for Australia after a breakout year playing white ball cricket abroad.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a solid BBL campaign with the Hobart Hurricanes, and then a sizzling Pakistan Super League season before he was taken by the Mumbai Indians at the Indian Premier League auction for $A1.53 million.
That massive fee saw David, who was a relative unknown on the international stage, catch the eyes of the cricket world.
Since then, David delivered on his price tag in the IPL, averaging 37.20 while striking at a massive 216.27, while he’s also impressed playing franchise cricket in England and the Caribbean.
“I’ve got him in the team. I would start with him,” Mark Waugh said of David while speaking at the official Kayo Sports season launch.
“I’ve got him in which means another player would miss out who’d be unlucky but yeah, I’d like to see him in there.”
Asked who would come out, Waugh said: “Well you’ve got Stoinis or Steve Smith potentially.”
Australia will return to play home T20 series against the West Indies and England in the lead-
up to the World Cup, where they will open their campaign on October 22 against New Zealand.
