Burns named in Aus A four-day squad

Dumped Test opener Joe Burns will get an opportunity to prove he’s the man to take on the new ball for Australia this summer after he was named for Australia A in their upcoming four-day matches against India A in Queensland.

Burns was today named vice-captain for the first match beginning September 8 before taking the reins as skipper from Peter Handscomb for the second and final game, which gets underway September 15.

Fellow Test squad members Jackson Bird and Jon Holland join Burns in the squad for the second match, after Australia’s recent 3-0 series defeat against Sri Lanka.

Both matches will be played at Allan Border Field in Brisbane and will be live streamed on cricket.com.au and on the Cricket Australia Live App.

Burns scored 0, 2, 3 and 29 in the first two Tests in Sri Lanka, before being dropped for the third.

The right-hander's torrid run came after a breakout summer where he notched centuries against New Zealand and the West Indies before registering a career-high 170 in Christchurch against the Kiwis.

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"Joe Burns will join both matches to give him further opportunity, and also have the chance to play a leadership role as vice-captain in the first match, then captain of the second," said national selector Rod Marsh.

"Peter Handscomb proved himself in Australia A’s victory over South Africa A in the longer format and will benefit from having a further leadership role in the first match before returning to Victoria to refresh ahead of the domestic season."

Australia A kicked off the winter series with comprehensive wins over South Africa A in two four-day games, while the Quadrangular one-day series, which features those two sides as well as India A and the National Performance Squad, is ongoing with matches being played in Townsville and Mackay.

Other new faces to the Australia A squads from the four-dayers against South Africa A include South Australia seamers Chadd Sayers and Kane Richardson, as well as Victoria opener Travis Dean.

Western Australia pair Hilton Cartwright and David Moody, and young Queensland batsman Sam Heazlett, also come into the four-day squad (Cartwright and Heazlett for the second match only) after impressing for the NPS in the Quadrangular series.

Tasmanian off-spinning allrounder Beau Webster also features in both squads.

"We have seen some great performances from both Australia A and the National Performance Squad,” Marsh said.

"David Moody and Hilton Cartwright were not previously named in the wider Australia A squad, but due to call-ups to the national side, they now have an opportunity to impress in the final matches of the series.

"Travis (Dean) had a very impressive debut in the Sheffield Shield last season, and we are looking forward to seeing what he can produce.

Sri Lanka Test squad member Bird wasn’t selected to play in that series but took a five-wicket haul against New Zealand in the last of his five Tests in Christchurch.

"This is also a good opportunity for Jackson to get some match bowling under his belt prior to the domestic season,” Marsh said.

"The final two matches of the series provides us a good chance to view other up-coming talent that we firmly believe deserve their selection and have the potential to be next in line to play at a national level.

"Those not named in these squads, who previously played in the four-day and one-day matches will now return to their states to allow for time to refresh ahead of the Matador Cup."

Not returning from the four-day squad that faced South Africa A are Matt Renshaw, Joe Mennie, Chris Tremain, Jake Lehmann (currently playing in the tail-end of the England domestic season with county side Yorkshire) and Australia T20 squad members Glenn Maxwell and Scott Boland.

Handscomb, Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Swespon and Dan Worrall will all play the first fixture only.

Australia A squad for the first match against India A (September 8):

Peter Handscomb (c), Joe Burns (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Travis Dean, David Moody, Kane Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Swepson, Beau Webster, Sam Whiteman, Dan Worrall.

Australia A squad for the second match against India A (September 15):

Joe Burns (c), Kurtis Patterson (vc), Jackson Bird, Hilton Cartwright, Travis Dean, Sam Heazlett, Jon Holland, David Moody, Kane Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Beau Webster, Sam Whiteman.