Maxwell dumped, Lynn bolts into ODI squad

Brisbane Heat master blaster Chris Lynn and uncapped Western Australia speedsters Jhye Richardson and Andrew Tye are the bolters in Australia’s 14-man ODI squad for the Gillette ODI Series, but there was no room for allrounder Glenn Maxwell.

Lynn has played just three KFC Big Bash League matches since returning from shoulder surgery but was at his best last night, smashing 63no from 46 balls opening the batting for the Heat against Melbourne Stars. 

Express paceman Richardson has been in fine form for WA and Perth Scorchers this summer, and was the equal leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps in seven matches in WA’s successful JLT One-Day Cup campaign.

The young quick is joined in the squad by fellow Scorcher Tye, who has been in outstanding form as the leading wicket-taker in this summer's BBL with 13 wickets in four matches, including a hat-trick against Sydney Sixers. 

But perhaps the biggest surprise is the omission of Maxwell, the maverick Victorian who made 50 in the Stars’ loss to Lynn’s Heat on Tuesday night.

The 29-year-old has been in career-best form in four-day cricket this season, entering the BBL break of the JLT Sheffield Shield as the competition’s highest run-scorer with 590 runs at 73.35, including a staggering 278 against NSW Blues at North Sydney Oval.

However, Maxwell’s ODI form has been inconsistent in the past 12 months. His most recent half-century was the 78 he scored against Pakistan at the SCG in January last year and was dropped during Australia’s five-match ODI series in India last September. 

"No-one is in any doubt about Glenn’s ability or his potential to produce match-winning contributions with the bat," national selector Trevor Hohns said in a statement.

"What we have wanted from him is more consistency but in his past 20 matches in this format he has averaged 22 and we need more than that from a player in the side’s batting engine room.

"Glenn is still absolutely in our thoughts but for this series we have decided to look again at Chris Lynn, who is now back playing once more after the shoulder injury that hampered him when we picked him against Pakistan in this format 12 months ago.

"He has been one of the most feared players at domestic level in limited-overs cricket in the past couple of years and we want to see if he can convert that domestic form to the international stage."

Tim Paine was one of the biggest bolters in Ashes history at the start of the summer, but the 33-year-old is now Australia’s first-choice gloveman in all three formats having been handed the T20I gloves in February last summer. 

Paine has not played an ODI since April, 2011 in Bangladesh but is the owner a one-day century – 111 against England at Trent Bridge in 2009.

"Tim forced his way into the Twenty20 International squad last summer, and after coming back into the Test squad at the beginning of the Ashes series he has made a terrific contribution with bat and gloves," Hohns said.

"He deserves his opportunity in this form of the game and the challenge for Matthew (Wade) is to return to the type of form that saw him score a one-day international hundred against Pakistan last summer."

Hohns said the National Selection Panel picked this squad with the 2019 World Cup in mind as Australia aim to defend the title they won three years ago.

"With our defence of the ICC Cricket World Cup just 17 months away, we are seeking to get a squad in place that can form the basis of the line-up for that campaign and at the same time regain ground in the ODI Rankings, given we have slipped from the number one position over the past 12 months," he said.

"There will still be further opportunities for players to force their way into the reckoning for the squad to go to England and Wales in 2019 but the sooner we can settle on our best combination and get them playing together and in form on a regular basis then the better our chances will be of retaining the trophy we won at home in 2015."

Australia squad for Gillette ODI series against England: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Ashton Agar.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Australia won by 120 runs (Day-Night). Scorecard

Third Test Australia won by an innings and 41 runs. Scorecard

Fourth Test MCG, drawn. Scorecard

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21