Swepson to debut, Australia elect to bowl

Leg-spinner Mitch Swepson will become the 91st male player to pull on an Australian T20 cap as the tourists look to salvage something from a winless Qantas Tour of the United Kingdom.

Swepson received his cap from assistant coach Ricky Ponting as the visitors won the toss and elected to bowl first in the one-off T20 International against England at Edgbatson.

The Queenslander forms part of a two-pronged spin attack alongside left-armer Ashton Agar.

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), D'Arcy Short, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (wk), Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson, Mitch Swepson, Billy Stanlake.

England XI: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Alex Hales, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jonny Bairstow Moeen Ali, David Willey, Liam Plunkett, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid

Batsman Travis Head returns to the XI having missed all but one game of Australia's most recent T20 tri-series matches in February, which they won to go to second on the ICC's rankings.

Glenn Maxwell has been promoted to bat at three, while Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson and Billy Stanlake, the pace trio that was instrumental in Australia's resurgence in that tri-series earlier this year, will reunite.

England keeper Jos Buttler has been promoted to open the batting for England having torched Australia in their ODI series victory.

Australia are confident the match will bring an upturn in fortunes in what has been a disappointing tour.

After being whitewashed 5-0 for the first time by the old enemy in the ODI series, the sides will do battle in the early hours of Thursday (AEST) morning at Edgbaston.

Now in touching distance of the No.1 T20 ranking, Australia beat England twice in February when the sides met in the shortest form of the game.

Aaron Finch, who will skipper the side in the match and also in next week's tri-series in Zimbabwe, said the change of format is a chance for some crumbs of comfort following a chastening fortnight.

"Our one-day series obviously didn't go the way we would have liked but we've got a real lot of confidence in this format," FInch said.

"We've played the tri-series quite recently and were very successful (with) a pretty similar squad as well.

"I think going into this we're very confident no doubt."

Buttler's elevation to the top of the order follows his success in the Indian Premier League as an opener.

The right-hander's century helped England inflict a morale-crushing one-wicket win in the final match at Old Trafford on Sunday and assistant coach Paul Farbrace said the decision was an easy one to make.

"You want to get your best strikers facing as many balls as possible," said Farbrace, who is standing in for head coach Trevor Bayliss for this clash.

"The form he's in, the way he's playing, it makes sense to get him at the top of the order."

Qantas tours of the UK and Zimbabwe

Australia T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth

England T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey

Qantas Tour of the UK

June 7: Australia beat Sussex by 57 runs at Hove

June 9: Australia beat Middlesex by 101 runs at Lord's

June 13: England won by three wickets at The Oval

June 16: England won by 38 runs in Cardiff

June 19: England won by 242 runs at Trent Bridge

June 21: England won by six wickets in Durham

June 24: England won by one wicket at Old Trafford

June 27: Only T20, Edgbaston (D/N)

Qantas T20I tri-series Tour of Zimbabwe

July 1: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

July 2: Pakistan vs Australia

July 3: Australia vs Zimbabwe

July 4: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

July 5: Pakistan vs Australia

July 6: Australia vs Zimbabwe

July 8: Final